A record number of people joined the famed pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres this weekend, bolstered by growing support among young people and interest in the Traditional Latin Mass.
According to estimates, 19,000 Catholics attended the three-day, 60-mile Chartres pilgrimage to mark Pentecost weekend. This record-high participation saw over a thousand more people join this year than in 2024 and three thousand more than in 2023.
Gathering under Christian banners, crosses, flags, and standards often venerating Saints, the group was dominated by young people, with the average age of the pilgrims being just 20 years old.
Pilgrims hold crosses, banners and flags as they arrive for the Mass, during the traditional Pentecostal pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, in Sonchamp, near Paris, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)
“The enthusiasm sparked by all the pilgrimage opportunities in France — especially those for young people — is a joy for the Church and a sign of its vitality,” the Bishops’ Conference of France (CEF) said earlier this month.
Speaking to Le Figaro, 23-year-old Sidonie said: “I await this pilgrimage every year with crazy impatience! It’s my special moment with Christ, a tête-à-tête that allows me to refocus, far from the worries of everyday life.”
“It’s like a real parenthesis, a rejuvenation in His creation. If heaven looks like that, honestly, I can’t wait to be there!” she added.
Pilgrims hold crosses, banners and flags as they arrive for the Mass, during the traditional Pentecostal pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, in Sonchamp, near Paris, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Another pilgrim, 23-year-old Lilou, added: “This enthusiasm comes from a deep aspiration to rediscover the sense of the sacred, from commitment to the beauty of life, from self-sacrifice… Regardless of culture or belief, this quest transcends boundaries and opposes the individualism of our time.”
While the current pilgrimage dates back to 1983, Chartres has long been one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Europe since the completion of its famed Gothic cathedral at the end of the 12th century.
The cathedral is home to the Sancta Camisa, a piece of silk believed to have been worn by the Virgin Mary during the birth of Jesus. The holy relic was donated to the cathedral in 876 AD by King Charles the Bald, the grandson of Charlemagne, who is said to have received it from Empress Irene of Byzantium.
Pilgrims hold crosses, banners and flags as they arrive for the Mass, during the traditional Pentecostal pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, in Sonchamp, near Paris, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The surge in popularity of the pilgrimage has been taken as vindication of the power of the Traditional Latin Mass to bring young people into the Church.
Yet, this also put the pilgrims in the crosshairs of opponents of the TLM, with La Croix reporting last year that the Vatican had launched a review of the pilgrimage over allegedly failing to adhere to restrictions and regulations on the mass by Pope Francis.
However, there is renewed hope of a rapprochement with Rome under Pope Leo XIV, who has expressed a desire to put Church “unity” at the forefront of his papacy.
A traditionalist priest who joined the pilgrimage, Father Arnaud Evrat, said: “I hope that Leo XIV will be able to bring the peace that has been lacking since Francis’ motu proprio… The Church will have to reverse this legal decision.”
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