Spend the summer with Saint Brother André

Now that summer is here, we can’t help but think of vacations, festivities, pleasure, sun and warmth. It is also a special time to begin a spiritual process of self-reflection that will open up a new place in your life.

A pilgrimage is a special opportunity to get to know yourself and the Other. At the Fifth European Congress of Pilgrimages and Shrines in Lourdes in September 2007, Jean-Yves Baziou, Professor at the Catholic University of Lille, wrote: “Pilgrimage is a change in one’s life that is characterized first and foremost by a process of self-transformation after tearing oneself away from the usual environment and lifestyle.”

When speaking of places of pilgrimage in the Catholic world, we immediately think of Rome, the Holy Land, Santiago de Compostela and the great Marian shrines, such as Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, etc.

There are no great or small pilgrimages. There are only opportunities to cut yourself off from your daily existence and set out in search of a balance and a deepening of your spiritual life.

A visit to the Oratory during the summer, whether you are a believer or not, is recommended. There are so many things to do and so much to discover! My favourite places for this summer are the Votive Chapel and the Garden of the Way of the Cross. When you come to visit Saint Joseph’s Oratory, I can promise you it’s worth taking the time to visit these two areas.

In this place of beauty, peace, meditation and pilgrimage, founded by Saint Brother André, I’ll be waiting for you!