Most of them are young people, with an average age of 20. The pilgrimage is becoming increasingly popular. Last year, 16 thousand people participated, but there were many more who wanted to join. Therefore, an additional two thousand spots were provided this time, although even that was not enough. Registration had to be closed a month before the pilgrimage.

The pilgrims covered more than 90 km in three days. They set off on Saturday morning from the Church of Saint-Sulpice, which has temporarily served as Paris’s cathedral after the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire. Some groups combined the first day of the pilgrimage with evangelisation.

Walking through Paris, the pilgrims talked with passers-by, answered their questions and bore witness to their faith. The pilgrimage to Chartres has a distinctly traditionalist character. Mass is celebrated according to the Missal of Saint John XXIII from 1962. Pilgrims often pray for Pope Francis. Many of them participated in World Youth Day in Lisbon. As reported by the weekly “Pèlerin,” not all are regularly involved with the traditional communities that cultivate the Tridentine Mass.

Some usually attend the post-Vatican II Mass. However, they can appreciate the unique aspects of the old liturgy, saying that it provides a fuller sense of the sacred and helps them better unite body and spirit.

Source: pch24.pl