Itinerary

The pilgrimage officially starts for St. Patrick's Chapter in Dublin Airport - on arriving in Paris we take a bus to our hotel and at 6pm have Mass in the Irish Cultural Centre (formally Irish College) on Rue Irlandais. This is followed by a meal and bed. The pilgrimage departs at 7.30 am next morning from outside Notre Dame Cathedral . We would normally leave the hotel at 6.45am for Notre Dame.

First Day:

Outside the Cathedral are trucks which carry the pilgrims luggage to the campsite where we spend the first night-our truck will usually be labelled 'Etranger'(but check with the chef de chapitre of St.Patrick's Chapter beforehand) and each pilgrim must bring their luggage to the truck -this does not include the napsack that you carry daily with your lunch etc. You will be given a piece of ribbon which identitfies the truck that the luggage is to be placed in. This must be tied around each piece of luggage before luggage is placed in truck.

If you travel independant of St. Patrick's Chapter but wish to join us outside the Cathedral you should be able to identify the group by the Irish flag and banners.

Each day we walk for about 2 hours before breaking, each break lasts about 10 minutes but this can vary according to weather and numbers. We usually break around 11.30 for Mass and lunch. Depending on where St. Patrick's chapter is in the pilgrimage column we get into the Campsite at Choisel between 7.30 and 9pm. Once you get into the campsite you must get your luggage. The trucks are normally to the left as you come into the campsite and the luggage is laid out on the grass in front.

The various tents accommodating pilgrims are spread throughout the campsite and their is usually a map showing the positions. Normally all the men from the Irish Chapter will be in one tent and all the ladies in another-usually beside each other or at least close by. You will need to bring your luggage down to the tents and get a space. Remember that you will be lying on grass which could be wet if the weather is inclement -for this reason it is important to being all recommended essentials listed on this webpage. Soup is availble at the campsite to all pilgrims.

Second Day

Next morning, tea, coffee and hot chocolate is available to all pilgrims on the site as are portaloos. Immediately after you've had breakfast please bring all luggage to the trucks and assemble for departure. Those people that had the banners and flags last the night before, must bring them to the assembly point which is in front of the trucks -

The second day replicates the first with stops and breaks and enters Gaz campsite at roughly the same time. The trucks' position can vary at Gaz and can be to the left or right as we enter the campsite.

On this the second night of the pilgrimage we have Benediction at Gaz and Exposition through the night.

Third Day

The morning of the third day replicated the second and luggage must be brought to trucks for transportation. However, on this the third and final day of the pilgrimage we walk until about 4pm by which time we should be in front of the Cathedral of Chartres. After Mass which is usually about 6pm each pilgrim must go to the Train station to collect their luggage where it has been depositied.

The train station is about a ten minute walk from the Cathedral. Our hotel which is Le Boeuf Couronne is on the way to the train station on the left and is about halfway from the Cathedral to the Station. You will have been allocated a room normally sharing. Dinner will be normally at 8pm.

Tuesday

Next morning our Chaplain Fr. Michael Cahill normally says Mass in the Cathedral Crypt at 9pm. If you wish to go to this Mass please be in the foyer of the hotel at 8.30. The door into the crypt is locked and we can only gain access once in the morning. Our train back to Paris is at around 2.30pm.

In recent years a tradition has begun and we meet at 12.30 pm at Cafe Serpentine which is just to the right of the Cathedral.

Hotel checkout is at 12am but the hotel allows us to keep our luggage in a room downstairs. The train back to Paris take approx. one hour. It takes us into Montparnasse station. Outside the station we take the airport bus to Charles de Gaulle. We are normally in the airport about 3 hours to departure.

Flight gets into Dublin at around 10pm.