This year we’re celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the cathedral crypt.
We are organizing a jubilee year, a year of festivities to give thanks (from September 7, 2024 to August 15, 2025). As part of the millennium, we have designed a pilgrimage route through the crypt to make every visitor a pilgrim in the footsteps of the saints who have preceded us here and on the path of faith.
What is the Jubilee Pilgrimage?
The heart of the jubilee is the Jubilee Pilgrimage: a route through the crypt and upper cathedral, focusing on conversion and baptism. The route takes us from north to south, from bottom to top, from shadow to light, from the darkness of death to the joy of Heaven.
When you enter the magnificent Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Chartres, don’t stop at aesthetic emotion. The beauty of this place, this bible of stone and glass, introduces us to the mystery of God: the visible communicates the intelligence of the invisible.
As we progress through this stroll, we discover the faith of the builders and Christians of today.
By discovering the history of this place and following in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, we invite you to become a pilgrim in your own right by taking part in this 4-stage route:
– At the foot of Notre-Dame de Sous-Terre, welcome Christ with Mary Throne of Wisdom.
– Following the example of the saints venerated here, take part in the life and mission of the Church..
– At the baptistery, be renewed in the Christian life.
– Cross the Jubilee Gate. Follow Christ, Way, Truth and Life. Enter the heavenly Jerusalem, the cathedral resplendent in light, the sign of joy. The walls sweat with the prayer of pilgrims.
Once in the upper cathedral, walk along the aisles, admire the stained-glass windows, and stop before Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verrière: she presents us with her Son to welcome him: “Do whatever he tells you”. (Jn 2:5).
Contemplate the scenes around the choir and the feelings that animate the characters depicted. Stand before the relic of the Virgin’s Veil. Let yourself be touched by the mystery of the Incarnation: the Lord wants to be born in you.
Pray to Our Lady of the Pillar. She is the most holy Mother who listens to the pleas of her children: “O Immaculate Virgin, who should give birth to grace and glory to all God’s chosen ones, deign to receive me into your womb and form me in you so that I may resemble Jesus. »
Enter the choir; look up to Our Lady of the Assumption. She shows us our deepest vocation: we are made for God.
Practical information :
The Jubilee Pilgrimage can be undertaken either accompanied or independently.
- Accompanied pilgrimage *: a volunteer accompanies you and explains the tour.
* Please arrive at the course reception desk (18 Cloître Notre-Dame) 15 minutes before departure. - Self-guided pilgrimage **: you can complete the tour on your own during opening hours.
** Last entry 45 minutes before closing time. Please report to the course reception desk (18 Cloître Notre-Dame).
The walk through the crypt takes about 1 hour for a single person or a group of 40.