Each year at Pentecost, thousands of Catholics gather at Notre Dame de Paris before setting out on foot for one of the most remarkable pilgrimages in the modern Church.
After Mass, the pilgrims leave the city behind and begin walking through fields, forests, and quiet countryside. Over the next three days they travel more than sixty miles, praying, singing, listening to talks, sharing silence, and even stopping to receive the Sacrament of Confession along the way. Halfway through the journey, a special Pentecost Mass is celebrated outdoors, often in the Latin rite.
Their destination is Notre Dame de Chartres.
This pilgrimage is often confused with the great Paris cathedral, especially since the tragic fire of 2019. But Chartres Cathedral was not damaged and remains one of the most intact medieval cathedrals in the world. Its famed stained glass windows, largely original from the 12th and 13th centuries, still glow with astonishing depth and color, just as they did centuries ago.
The Chartres pilgrimage itself dates back to the Middle Ages, when it formed part of the longer Camino de Santiago. Pilgrims came to venerate a treasured relic believed to be the veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For centuries it was a bustling route of devotion, prayer, and sacrifice.
Then history intervened. Wars, religious upheaval, and cultural shifts slowly emptied the roads. By the early 20th century, the pilgrimage had nearly vanished.
In 1982, a small group of faithful Catholics revived it. What began modestly has grown year after year, drawing thousands, including young adults and families, and even curious non Catholics. When pilgrims finally glimpse Chartres’ twin spires rising above the horizon after days of walking, many describe the moment as a kind of homecoming.
Even those who may never walk the road to Chartres can still unite themselves spiritually to this ancient devotion. The Chartres Cathedral Stained Glass Windows Candle brings the beauty of that Marian sanctuary into the home. As it burns, it evokes the luminous windows that have drawn pilgrims for centuries, offering a quiet reminder of faith, perseverance, and the peace found at journey’s end.
