2025 Registrations Open!

 Dear Friends and Prospective Pilgrims,

Chartres sonne! It's that time again!

We are delighted to invite you to the 43rd Chartres Pilgrimage and the 30th from the UK!  We hope you are able to join us for this unforgettable pilgrimage in honour of Our Blessed Mother. The theme of this year’s pilgrimage is “That He reigns on earth as He does in Heaven". The date of the pilgrimage is 7 - 9th June 2025. This year we will have 3 adult chapters and a family chapter. 

Coach from London

There will be a British group leaving Brompton Oratory, London on a coach on Friday, 6 June 2025 after the 8am Mass at 8.45am sharp. 

The coach is now full.  Please email Chartresuk@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the waiting list.

The coach package cost of the pilgrimage is £295 (plus £75 for a single room supplement, subject to availability). Children under 12 are £150. This includes hotel accommodation just outside Paris (B&B) on Friday night and in Chartres on Tuesday night (DBB). Please note all under 18s need to be accompanied by a parent or a responsible older relative. 

Travel independently to and from France

If you wish to travel independently and join the group in Paris on Saturday morning to walk with our chapters, the registration cost is £10 which includes a hymn/prayer booklet including all of the mass propers and a contribution towards the cost of receiver/speaker device (to hear the meditations etc. during the pilgrimage). Note those travelling independently will need to find their own accommodation.

The sooner we gather registrations from all participating pilgrims, the sooner we can start to assign pilgrims to our chapters.

Registration process

Please note that there is an important change to the registration process this year. 

In addition to registering with English chapters with the link provided in this email below, it will also be necessary for each pilgrim to register with, and pay a fee (circa €40 for older adults; €10 for children and younger adults) directly to the French organisers, Notre Dame de Chrétienté. The opening date for those registrations is Palm Sunday (13th April 2025). We will email a link when it is live to those registered with us and advise the chapter you will be walking in. It is vitally important that you complete this important step as soon as possible after this date to ensure you are allocated a pilgrimage bracelet (which gives entitlement to join the pilgrimage and access the campsites etc.)  We request that you confirm by this email to us once you have done this.

Register now to walk with us!

Registrations are now open for you via this link: Registration Form. 

There is a facility to pay by card (for a small fee - up to 2.2% dependent on cost) as part of the registration process or you can pay by bank transfer if you prefer to avoid this cost. Details are in the payment section of the form. Please register with us by 25th March 2025. Don't delay as we expect places to sell out fast!

Please note that there will be no refunds possible within 3 weeks of the pilgrimage.

Further information is contained in the form or you can request a pdf booklet from Chartresuk@gmail.com.  Please read it carefully as there is a lot of detail and advice in there. Please also contact us on email: Chartresuk@gmail.com if you have any other questions about the Pilgrimage.

We look forward to seeing you on the road to Chartres, Deo volente!

Chartres 2025 -- Not Long Now!

 We are gearing up for the 43rd edition of the Pilgrimage to Chartres.  We hope to make this year's edition even bigger and better!  The theme "That He Reigns on Earth as He does in Heaven" encapsulates the idea of this Pilgrimage -- to establish here on Earth the Kingdom of Heaven where Christ reigns in our hearts, but also where we work towards the establishment of Christ's Kingdom in all our earthly nations.  He is King of All Nations.  Let us pay due homage by joining this wonderful pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady.  Registrations details will shortly be forthcoming.  In the meantime, a reminder of last year's wonderful Pilgrimage:  

Chartres 2024 Complet! (Full)!!

 For the second year in a row, the Pilgrimage to Chartres is completely full!  Pilgrimage logistics (campsites, coaches, security) have reached their capacity to cope!

Chartres 2024. Chartres Sonne!

 

We are delighted to invite you to the 42nd Chartres Pilgrimage. We hope you are able to join us for this unforgettable pilgrimage in honour of Our Blessed Mother. The theme of this year’s pilgrimage is “I want to see God”.

There will be a British group leaving Westminster Cathedral, London on a coach on Friday, 17 May 2024. Please aim to arrive for 6.45am to load bags on the coach. We plan to have a Mass of Departure in the Cathedral Crypt at 7am prior to departure at 8am pending permission (TBC). The coach returns back to London on 21st May 2024 around 8pm.

The cost of the pilgrimage is £325 (plus £75 for a single room supplement, subject to availability). Children under 12 are £162. This cost includes hotel accommodation in Paris (B&B) on Friday night and in Chartres on Tuesday night (DBB). Please note all under 18s need to be accompanied by a parent or a responsible older relative.

We are now accepting registrations via this link: Registration Form. This year we have added the option to pay online through the form via card (for a 2.1% fee). You may of course pay by bank transfer if you prefer. Details are in the payment section of the form. The deadline for the applications is 29th March 2024. Please apply quickly as we expect places to sell out fast!

If you wish to travel independently and join the group in Paris on Saturday morning to walk with our chapters, please use the link to register with us for £50. This includes the registration fee, booklet and receiver (to hear the meditations etc. during the pilgrimage). Unfortunately there is not enough space in our hotels to accommodate pilgrims joining us separately.

Please note that there will be no refunds possible within 3 weeks of the pilgrimage.

We will have 2 adult/youth chapters and a family chapter.  If you require additional information or have any questions, please contact us on email Chartres@duc-in-altum.co.uk

 

 

Chartres 2023! Open to Register!

 We are delighted to announce that registrations are now open for the 41st Pilgrimage to Chartres.  As in years past, a coach will leave London on 26 May 2023 to join the international throng on the road to Chartres!  The theme this year is "The Eucharist, Salvation of Souls".  Unfortunately, costs have risen during our Covid-enforced absence and therefore the cost this year will be £310.00 per adult and £155.00 for chidren (under 12) (double occupancy).  Still great value for a fantastic weekend and very good for the soul!  The deadline for applications is 7 April 2023 and this should be done online at Register for Chartres.  Please contact Chartres@duc-in-altum.co.uk for further information.  

Two Pilgrimages!

Pilgrims at the Cross of St. Augustine (photo: Richard Windsor)

Pilgrims in Chartres (photo: Raja Wolstenholme)

Pilgrims from England made their way to France and to Kent over the Pentecost weekend to take part in the annual Chartres Pilgrimage.  United in prayer and spirit, the two groups kept in contact throughout the weekend and both Pilgrimages ended with the singing of Chez Nous Soyez Reine practically simultaneously!  Oddly, the weather was better in England as storms battered the area around Paris.  The SSPX (going in the opposite direction) had to abandon their Pilgrimage as the weather was so bad.  The Pilgrims travelling to Chartres fared better with the weather only requiring the cancellation of the midday Mass on Pentecost Sunday (the Mass was moved to the campsite at Choisel prior to departure as far as the pilgrims were concerned).  By a happy co-incidence, this meant that the two High Masses for Pentecost (in France and in Kent) took place at roughly the same time -- 6 am English time!  The Pilgrimage in England was a little different to the previous year's version as the Convent at Minster was open allowing access to the Abbey grounds, and we stopped at St. Anne's Convent in Sturry where there is a shrine to an incorrupt Servant of God (Adele-Euphrasie Barbier).  The Sisters made us very welcome and were delighted when we sang the Regina Caeli!  All Night Adoration and veneration of the relic of St. Thomas Becket was planned in Canterbury on the Vigil of Pentecost ending with the High Mass at 6 am on Pentecost Sunday.  This allowed time for a quick breakfast before the group set off for the Church at Boughton under Blean, an interesting Church with an extensive graveyard where we stopped for lunch.  As we were a bit behind schedule, our dinner planned in a pub in Doddington was cancelled at short notice, but the proprietor of the George in Newnham came to the rescue with sandwiches, chips and samosas at short notice!  A happy crew therefore rolled into Palace Farm hostel where we stayed the night.  The last day of Pilgrimage started early with departure at 6 am with breaks at Bredgar and Thurnham before a good lunch at a pub in Boxley.  Thus fortified, we marched the remaining miles to Aylesford Priory just in time for the 3 pm scheduled High Mass celebrated by Father Tom Lynch assisted by Fr. Faustinus and Brother Peter of the Marian Friars of Gosport and Portsmouth.  

To Chartres; or not to Chartres?

 This has proved a difficult question!  While COVID restrictions continue to be eased, it is still the case that unvaccinated pilgrims would not be permitted to travel to France without a "compelling" reason.  We have therefore decided to repeat the very successful pilgrimage from Ramsgate to Aylesford Priory which was organised a little quietly last year.  So, please join us!

For further information, and to register your interest, please email Chartres@duc-in-altum.co.uk.  The Pilgrimage will start with Mass for the Vigil of Pentecost on Saturday, 4 June 2022 and end with Mass for Pentecost Monday in the afternoon of Monday, 6 June 2022.