Sisters of St. Joseph from Philadelphia Hold Annual Pilgrimage

Even the rain, wind, and cloudy skies did not dampen the spirits of six sisters and two associates who made the annual pilgrimage to Le Puy and Lyon April 19-25. After resting up a bit from their long journey, the group climbed St. Michel— all 285 steps. The next day they went to the old city of Le Puy to visit the Kitchen where they prayed a thanksgiving prayer to the six founding sisters, Fr. Medaille, and Bishop de Maupas. They also visited the Église du Collège where Fr. Médaille preached, the Tree of Martyrs where two sisters were guillotined during the French Revolution, the Cathedral of Notre Dame of the Assumption, and of course, Martine’s Lace Shop where they found many beautiful handmade lace items. And, in what has become a new tradition, they visited the St. Joseph Shrine. After leaving Le Puy, the group went to Bas-en-Basset to see the birthplace of Mother St. John Fontbonne and then to Lyon to visit the Origin and Evolution Center of the Lyon Sisters, Mother St. John's grave, the hilltop basilica of Fourvière, the chapel where Mother St. John prayed for the sisters she had sent to the USA, and Old Lyon for a delectable dinner in the Food Capital of France.