Anyhow, it was a long drive from Paray-le-Monial to St. Baume so we had lunch along the way. I could hardly contain my excitement, especially after I have learned that the tomb of Mary Magdalene at St. Maximin is the third most important tomb in the world. It comes immediately after the tomb of Jesus at Jerusalem and that of St. Peter at Rome. So you can just imagine how excited I was. However, my excitement turned to disappointment when I learned we could no longer go up to the grotto at St. Baume because the road leading up to it is no longer safe.
Do not get confused. The Grotto of St. Baume is the cave where Mary Magdalene is said to have stayed for the last 30 years of her life. The word "beaume" means caves or grottos. To get to the grotto requires a 20-minute car ride up winding roads in the St. Baume Mountains, and then a 45-minute walk up a footpath. On the other hand, the tomb of Mary Magdalene is at St. Maximin, a charming and ancient town, where the 14th century Basilica of Mary Magdalene was built to hold her relics and contains her crypt.
Anyhow, we met our tour guide who gave us a very detailed historical account of the life of Mary Magdalene and then took us to the Basilica and descended into the small crypt.
To your left and to your right you’ll see four marble sarcophagi, dating from the 4th century. They are believed to contain the remains of Mary Magdalene and four other saints, including St. Maximin. In the rear of the crypt you discern a golden statue with a darkish mask. Coming closer you discover that the mask is in effect a skull, its eye sockets staring at you in defiance or reprimand. We learned that this is the cranium of Mary Magdalene! How did these relics get here, you wonder…..
Suspend your disbelief for just a moment, and follow the legend of Mary Magdalene in Provence. We’ll start with her departure from the shores of Palestine and end in the crypt of the Basilica in Saint Maximin.
First, a brief history of Mary Magdalene’s pre-Provencal life. The Gospels have little information on her. We read that she followed Jesus, had seven demons exorcised from her, was present at the Crucifixion, and was the first person to see Jesus after his Resurrection. Christian tradition weaves a further tale: she was a woman of loose morals, to say the least, who repented after she encountered Jesus, then led a life of faithfulness and purity.
In the same tradition, Magdalene’s legend expands: persecuted by the Jews of Jerusalem, she and a group of other disciples are cast off in a boat without sails or oars. In this group we also find Mary, mother of James, another Mary, mother of James Major and John, Maximinus, Lazarus and Sarah, an Egyptian servant. Miraculously they survive the perilous voyage and safely land on the shores of southern Provence.
Soon afterwards, the group splits up. Mary Magdalene travels north to the region of Ste. Baume. The two other Marys stay behind in the place where they landed, together with Sarah, the servant girl. Their residence is now the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a place of pilgrimage to honor the arrival of the three Marys, and the burial of two. Every year, gypsies, who have adopted Sarah as their patron saint, participate in the processions in full color and glory. But that’s a subject for another story!
Mary Magdalene, in the meantime, travels throughout Provence, preaching the gospel. Then she retires to a cave near Ste. Baume for a life of retreat and contemplation. After 33 years she dies, having received the last rites from Maximinus, who buries her in the grotto. Her resting place becomes a centre of pilgrimage. Then in the 11th century her remains disappear. First it was thought that they had been stolen and taken to Vézelay (relics were important business in the Middle Ages; they attracted thousands of pilgrims and added to the wealth of the Church). However, in 1279 the Count of Provence, Charles d’Anjou, discovers her remains in a sarcophagus beneath the simple church at St. Maximin, after the saint herself appeared in a dream. Whether this was a convenient way of taking the business away from Vézelay or a genuine discovery, no one knows. But don’t be cynical and follow what happened after this miraculous recovery.
With the blessing of the Pope, Charles d’Anjou begins to build the enormous Basilica on the site of the crypt. Onto it is a monastery to house the Dominican friars who are in charge of the relics of Mary Magdalene (until 1957). The work starts in 1295 and continues until 1532. As with many churches at that time, it was never finished; it lacks a bell tower, for instance. But its imposing size, its history and its interior make it a special place in Provence.
While this provincial passage by Mary Magdalene is treated as a legend by some historians, there is no doubt of its veracity if you speak to the locals. Today, visitors and pilgrims continue to flock to the Basilica to see the relics of Mary Magdalene.
After the tour of the basilica, we had mass officiated by Fr. Jerry, after which we proceeded to our hotel, Novotel Marseille Est, for the night. At this time, there was still no sign of Grace’s luggage, and she was taking it like a pro. Had it happened to me, I would have buckled down and sulked. haha
The following day, we motored towards Marseille.
With its terracotta-roofed buildings the color of cracked wheat, ripened apricot and blanched almond scattered around the mistral-whipped sea, Marseille is infused with a perceptible and irrepressible energy. This gritty, grimy and gloriously real city – France’s oldest and largest after Paris – isn’t gentrified like its Provencal counterparts. But its rough-and-tumble edginess, wailing sirens and litter-swirled streets, and its coastal rocky inlets, coves and sun-baked beaches, are chock-a-block with treasures.
Pulsing to a sultry southern European tempo, Marseille also beats to the drum of neighboring North Africa. Its fusion of cultures is best experienced at its thronging street markets of Provencal produce stalls, Algerian souk-like bazaars, and fresh-off-the-boat catches splayed along the Vieux Port’s docks at its centuries-old fish market, selling the base ingredients for the local specialty fish stew, bouillabaisse. Its name literally translates to its cooking method - when it boils (bouillir), lower the heat to a simmer (baisser) – which is maybe a good recipe for handling the heady, heated melting pot that is Marseille.
A city of many attractions - the sea, the sun, nature and culture - Marseille is proud of its strong tradition of accessibility and its people’s warm hospitality. Just consider the following:
· A unique seafront with 57 km of coastline overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
· A tourist spot in the heart of the Mediterranean
· A cosmopolitan and vibrant city that attracts throngs of tourists from all over the world every year
· Officially listed as a city of art and history, Marseille is creating an economic and cultural vitality that is booming today
· It has positioned itself as the French and Mediterranean city of reference for conventions and seminars
· It is also the flagship city for cruises in France and an indisputable stop for the world’s largest cruise lines
· Easy to access: international airport, low-cost air terminal, high-speed train, motorways, etc.
· Easy to live: metro, tramway, bus, etc.
· Easy to love: mild temperatures, maximum sunshine, beautiful landscapes, warm and inviting culture
· So much to explore: palaces, Greek and Roman ruins, churches and cathedrals, castles and botanical gardens, etc.
· The European Capital of Culture 2013 (The title of European Capital of Culture was created in 1985 by the European Union with a view to bringing Europeans closer together and asserting the central role cities play in the arts and culture)
· It is the second most filmed city in France with nearly 1,200 film shoots over the last ten years
· It has the second largest film studios in France
· It is France’s second most important centre for diplomacy with 70 consulates, numerous international institutions, thirteen twin cities, around twenty cooperative agreements, etc.
· A culinary stopover with restaurants starred and listed by the Michelin guide
· A cultural centre of grand scale with 17 museums, 42 theatres and 12 cinemas plus international events
· No. 2 research centre in France
Knowing all of the above, wouldn’t you be excited to explore Marseille, just as I was? I became more excited when Bennie told us that she had a surprise for us (it was not indicated in our itinerary) - a visit to Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde (Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard). Sweeeeet!
Locals commonly refer to the basilica as La Bonne Mere (the Good Mother). This ornate Neo-Byzantine church sits atop the signal hill of La Garde, a 162m (532 ft) limestone outcrop on the south side of the Vieux Port that is the highest natural point in Marseille. The basilica was built on the site of a 13th-century chapel also dedicated to Our Lady of the Guard, filled with the ex-votos of safely returned sailors. The basilica is surmounted by a 60-metre (197 ft) belfry topped with a huge statue of the Virgin and Child, visible across much of the city and from miles out at sea. The basilica took 5 years to build and required 170,000 tons of material, including 23 shiploads of marble and porphyry from Italy.
And although the exterior of the church is stunning in its stature and attention to detail, there is perhaps nothing more impressive than the ornate upper chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mother. From the elaborate mosaics and colored inlaid marble to the impressive statues and amazing works of art, the basilica was indeed meant to be a place worth for a dedication to the mother of Jesus. It was certainly considered to be one of the finest examples of this kind of architecture at the time it was constructed and is still treasured around the world. There are side chapels, vaults, domes, a crypt, and virtually limitless things to explore around every corner at the basilica. For true lovers of history and culture, especially those with an affinity for classical churches, this is an absolute must-see if you are planning a trip to Marseille.
Visitors come here not only for the church but also for the view - best seen at sunset - from its terrace. The panoramic vista includes the city, the islands, and the sea.
Anyhow, after a hearty breakfast, we set out to get to the highest point of the city. Along the way, Giovanni, our gorgeous Italian driver, had to navigate narrow, steep and winding roads on hairpin turns to reach the summit where the basilica stands. It was very windy that day, about 50-150 km/hr wind speed, which apparently happens 100 days a year. And that day was one of those days. Yikes! I really had to hold on to the railings so my small frame won’t get blown away by the fierce winds.
In fact, I noticed that there were ropes available to hold on to when you cross the top of the building to go inside the basilica. You can hear the winds howling outside the basilica while we were having mass, so you can just imagine how VERY windy it was that day.
Anyhow, as soon as I entered the basilica, I immediately noticed the contrast between the light outside and the shadows inside. It is unique and the visual power draws you in and takes you by surprise. I couldn’t help but look up at the mosaics during mass. My description would just fall short of how majestic they really are. You have to see it for yourself.
After mass, we were scheduled to have a tour of the basilica but the tour guide refused to start unless everybody was in attendance. But some people in the group took it upon themselves to return to the bus immediately after mass, so we ended up with no tour. I wanted to kick the tour guide right up her shin because she was not in any way accommodating. And again, I had to remind myself that I was a pilgrim, not a tourist, so I kept my cool and just took photos of the awesome place. How I wish I could return to this place someday.
Thereafter, we were on the road again on our way to Lourdes, the pilgrimage site that I have been looking forward to visit in my lifetime. So allow me to delve lengthily into this portion of the trip.
By way of introduction, Lourdes is a bustling Pyrenees village, best known for famous Virgin Mary sightings, that is central to several other great cities and attractions. The city is also in a prime location in that the Pyrenees are steps away to the south, and Spain is just a few kilometers away. It is the perfect destination for the adventure traveler, with numerous outdoor activities close by.
Lourdes is second only to Paris in the number of hotel rooms available in a single city in France. It is also the second most popular tourism city in all of France, attracting five million pilgrims annually from throughout the globe to the cave where a peasant girl had several Virgin Mary sightings.
Although Lourdes' spiritual atmosphere is tainted by numerous shops selling tacky religious trinkets (think framed, velvet Jesus art and hot pink plastic rosaries), even an atheist could appreciate the splendor of the enormous Basilica of the Rosary. It was built in response to the hordes of people that began to descend on the city after the Virgin Mary sightings, and is an amazing example of architecture.
Anyhow, it was a long 7-hour drive to Lourdes from Marseille, and the weather didn’t help one bit as it had been raining the whole time. Therefore, it was almost dinnertime when we arrived in Lourdes. It’s a good thing that our hotel, Hotel Notre Dame de France, was a mere 10-minute walk from the grotto. So without wasting any time, Marilyn and I immediately went to the grotto after dinner as I couldn’t contain my excitement. Grace had to do some shopping as her luggage never made an appearance and consequently was sent back to her home in California. Ayayay…
As a backgrounder, beginning on February 11, 1858, a 14-year old peasant girl called Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have experienced a series of apparitions of a girl dressed in white and with a blue belt around her waist, who eventually introduced herself as the Immaculate Conception, a name by which the Virgin Mary was known.
On land bordered by a loop of the Gave de Pau river is an outcrop of rock called Massabielle. On the northern aspect of this rock near the riverbank is a naturally occurring, irregularly shaped shallow cave or grotto, in which the apparitions took place. At the time of the apparitions, the grotto lay well out of town, on common ground which was used by the villagers for pasturing animals, collecting firewood and as a garbage dump, and it possessed a reputation for being an unpleasant place.
And on February 25th, which was considered to be the 9th apparition, Bernadette claimed to have been directed to a spring that had not existed in the grotto. No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. Its discovery by Bernadette, witnessed by hundreds of onlookers, was eventually declared miraculous. Later studies have shown that the water is pure and contains chlorides of soda, lime and magnesia, bicarbonates of lime and magnesia, silicates of lime and aluminum, oxide of iron, sulphate of soda, phosphate, and organic matter and, therefore, contains no therapeutic ingredients. However, the water was claimed to be capable of healing the sick and lame. Of the many thousands of pilgrims who visit Lourdes every year, some claim to have been miraculously healed. It is estimated that the spring has produced 27,000 gallons of water each week since it first emerged during Bernadette's visions.
Nevertheless, the figure always appeared in one place, a niche above the main cavity of the grotto, in which a wild rose bush was growing. Among the instructions from 'the Virgin' were "Go and drink from the spring", "Go and tell the priests to build a chapel here", and "Have the people come here in procession". These three instructions in particular were to prove pivotal in the development of the Domain and its ceremonies. Public interest in the apparitions grew, and curious visitors began to be replaced by pilgrims from increasingly far away, drawn by compelling stories of apparitions and miracles.
Thereafter, a local priest, together with his bishop, bought the grotto and the land around it from the commune in 1861, three years after the apparitions. Immediately they set about modifying the area to make it more accessible to visitors, and started work to build the first of the churches.
In 1864, a Lyonnais sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch was commissioned to create a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes based on Bernadette's descriptions. The statue rests in the niche where the Virgin appeared to Bernadette. The original wild rose bush was destroyed shortly after the apparitions by pilgrims seeking relics, but a newer one has been planted nearby.
However, due to French political upheaval resulting in an enforced separation of Church and State, the property and grounds of the Domain were confiscated from the Church and returned to the ownership of the town in 1910. The then bishop contested this confiscation, and was permitted to rent the Domain from the town until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Later, a visit to Lourdes by Marshal Pétain in 1941 provided official recognition of the Domain. Church officials successfully petitioned Pétain to allow the Church to reclaim ownership of the Domain.
Currently, the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes is responsible for the spiritual governance of the Domain. He appoints a local representative, who is called the Rector. There are 30 full-time chaplains working in the Domain, from dioceses and religious communities worldwide. There are 292 full-time lay employees and a further 120 seasonal employees working in 63 different divisions, with an annual running budget of €18 million, 90% of which comes from donation.
The Domain is open all year round. An estimated 200 million people have visited the shrine since 1860, and the Roman Catholic Church has officially recognized 67 miracle healings. About 800 tons of wax is burnt annually in devotional candles.
Anyhow, when we arrived at the place, I was just in awe of the size and enormity of the Rosary Square, the open space in front of the Rosary Basilica. The Statue of the Crowned Virgin, often known as the "Crowned Statue", stands across Rosary Square from the Rosary Basilica and faces the entrance. This prominent statue is a familiar landmark and a traditional meeting point. The statue is 2.5m high and cast in bronze, painted white and blue in the traditional colors. Behind the Crowned Statue is the Esplanade, a large open walkway which is used in the processions.
We then proceeded to the grotto to pray. This is my first view of the grotto which was late at night. Most of the pilgrims were gone and only a handful of people prayed at Massabielle in the shade of the massive gray cliffs, above which rested the gothic majesty of the double basilica. In contrast to the grandness of the Rosary Square, the grotto where St. Bernadette's visions took place is very simple and stark. The recess of the grotto itself is undecorated, although a plain stone altar and lectern have been placed there so that Masses can be said. Above the main recess is the niche where the apparitions took place and the statue now stands. A large stand of candles next to the altar is kept burning.
As I knelt to pray, there was a brand of awe that can only be experienced when visiting a spot where an extraordinary event occurred. The reality of Bernadette’s story hit me hard, a story of wonder and suffering culminating in thousands of healings in the waters of the spring she had dug beneath the Virgin’s feet.
The spring Bernadette is said to have dug can be seen at the rear of the grotto, shielded by a glass cover. Pilgrims can process through the grotto and it is traditional to touch the rocks directly under the statue and, indeed, so many people have done this that the stones have become polished. Also at the rear of the grotto is a metal box into which written prayers or petitions may be deposited and they are collected daily and burnt. Rows of benches allow visitors to sit and pray or contemplate. Pilgrims are asked to remain silent while in the vicinity to create an atmosphere of devotion. One of the spots where Bernadette prayed to the Virgin is marked by a special paving slab.
After praying at the grotto, Marilyn and I took holy water from the faucets and put them in containers for our perusal and then went back to the hotel for the night.
To Be Continued.....
No comments:
Post a Comment