Pilgrimage to France

In the Footsteps of Our Founders

By the first half of the 17th century, war, disease, corruption, and indifference had ravaged France and other parts of Europe. Inspired by the spirituality and initiative of St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal, and their co-founding of the Visitation Sisters in Annecy, France, six women and a Jesuit priest felt called to meet the needs of their “dear neighbors” who were suffering in Le Puy-en-Velay in 1650. Anna Brun, Marguerite Burdier, Anna Chaleyer, Clauda Chastel, Françoise Eyraud, Anna Vey, and Fr. Jean-Pierre Médaille, SJ founded the Sisters of St. Joseph with the support of their local bishop, Bishop Henri de Maupas, who asked them to take the name of St. Joseph for their new order. Unlike previous bishops throughout France and Europe, Bishop Maupas approved of the sisters’ plan to “divide the city” to directly meet the needs of the poor, hungry, widows, and orphans throughout the streets of Le Puy-en-Velay; they did not need to remain in a convent. Thus, the Sisters of St. Joseph (or Congregation of St. Joseph: CSJ) were instituted. Their humble kitchen served as the base in which they prayed, shared from their hearts how they encountered God, planned their ministry to their “dear neighbors,” and made lace to financially support themselves while teaching and empowering vulnerable women to do the same.

Ancient small hills or mounds of volcanic rock dot the landscape of Le Puy-en-Velay (which can be shortened to “Le Puy”) and they resemble needles in a valley, which is the rough translation of the town’s name. The original six Sisters of St. Joseph walked the cobblestone streets of Le Puy as they practiced the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, they very likely visited and prayed in the Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel built atop a “puy” of volcanic rock, and we know that they did visit and pray in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy. The kitchen where the Sisters and Fr. Médaille gathered still exists and has been preserved in its original structure.

Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, a Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet institution, began taking faculty, staff, and students on a pilgrimage experience of Le Puy several years ago where they retraced the steps and visited the locations of the original six Sisters. Shannon Green, Director of the CSJ Institute at Mount Saint Mary’s,

Written by Ryan Martin-Spencer& Dr. Brandy Sato

graciously welcomes faculty and staff from the Academy of Our Lady of Peace to join in the pilgrimage experience. During the summer of 2022, our Head of School, Dr. Lauren Lek, and our Assistant Head of School, Dr. Brandy Ann Sato, while on pilgrimage in Le Puy, discussed how the wonderful pilgrimage experience could provide OLP students with a transformative encounter with the history, mission, and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph. After months of planning and preparation with the Faith Journeys tour group, the OLP Pilgrimage of France became a reality in April of 2023.

Over Easter vacation, 24 students and five adult chaperones from OLP embarked upon the pilgrimage experience of France with a focus on Le Puy. After arriving in Le Puy on Good Friday, the OLP pilgrims met Sr. Eluiza, CSJ and CSJ Associate Olga for a walking tour of the cobblestone streets of Le Puy, including l’Eglise du Collège, the Jesuit church where Fr. Médaille very likely preached; a world class handmade bobbin lace shop; and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy. After a homemade dinner with Sr. Eluiza and Ms. Olga at the St. Joseph International Centre, the pilgrims returned to the Cathedral for a very emotional and powerful medieval style outdoor nighttime Stations of the Cross procession with praying, chanting, and penitents wearing clothing symbolizing repentance.

On Holy Saturday, the pilgrims returned to the International Centre to hear more from Ms. Olga and Sr. Eluiza about the work of the Centre to bring together Sisters, Associates, and partners from around the world for immersive learning experiences about the history and ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The pilgrims also learned, reflected upon, and shared about specific details about the history of the Sisters and the implications for their lives as students at a CSJ school today. The afternoon included opportunities for historical and cultural immersion as the pilgrims traveled to the Château de Chavaniac where Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was born, and then returned to Le Puy to visit local shops and boutiques. A family owned restaurant hosted the pilgrims for a lively and fun dinner with jokes and friendly banter from the head chef and co-owner. Upon returning to the hotel, the pilgrims engaged in journaling and “Sharing of the Heart,” inspired by the way the original six Sisters reflected in the kitchen in 1650, and how current Sisters of St. Joseph share to this day.

All of the pilgrims voted to attend 7:00 am mass on Easter Sunday back at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy, which included a special and beautiful blessing of other pilgrims who were journeying on foot along the Santiago de Compostela, or the Way of St. James, all the way to Spain. The simple, yet beautiful mass, moved the OLP pilgrims in a special way, and they were grateful to celebrate Easter mass in such a unique setting, even if it meant getting up extra early and being a little cold and hungry. After breakfast, some time to rest, and a light lunch from a local grocery store, half of the pilgrim group visited the handmade bobbin lace shop for a live demonstration, while the other half of the group experienced the kitchen in which the original six Sisters prayed and made lace. The two groups rotated so that all OLP pilgrims could appreciate the very special opportunity to learn about and pray in the original kitchen, the historical and spiritual source of the Sisters of St. Joseph, on Easter Sunday. The pilgrims continued in the footsteps of the first six Sisters by hiking up 268 steps to Rocher Saint-Michel, a chapel dedicated to St. Michael built over 1,000

The very special Easter Sunday concluded with a joyous dinner prepared by Sr. Eluiza and Ms. Olga back at the International Centre punctuated by laughter and unifying love in the true spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph and our OLP sisterhood.

In addition to its importance historically, Le Puy-en-Velay has become a powerful symbol and invitation for students at CSJ universities, colleges, and high schools to take bold steps forward to meet the needs of our times, inspired by the original six Sisters, rooted in humility and unifying love. At OLP, we have learned from and collaborated with Mount Saint Mary’s University to equip our faculty and staff with tools and resources to empower our students to serve our dear neighbors without distinction. For example, Dr. Andrée Leighton has generously shared with us her project based experiential process called the Le Puy Method, which focuses on learning about the needs of our dear neighbors, co-creating solutions with them, empowering implementation of the solutions, and reflecting upon the experience. The OLP Pilgrimage of France, with its focus on Le Puy-en-Velay, provides an added richness to the opportunities for our school community to continue to grow in our embodiment of Jesus Christ’s unifying love and of serving our dear neighbors today and into the future so that all