Francia SacraA journey of faith
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XII

Via Conchae The Way of the Shell

UltreiaThe greeting of the pilgrims

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Length
Eight days, indicative
Walking
Demanding
Season
May to early October
Status
In preparation

The grace we ask on this way

Perseverance, and prayer on foot.

  1. Le Puy-en-Velay
  2. Aubrac
  3. Conques
  4. Figeac
  5. Cahors
  6. Moissac

Pilgrims to Compostela walk toward the tomb of Saint James and pray on the way. On the Le Puy route, the best known in France, there is a stage on foot on six of the eight days, and the minibus links the stages.

At Le Puy-en-Velay, you will receive your credential, the booklet stamped from stage to stage, then the pilgrims’ blessing after the morning Mass in the cathedral. You will walk a few hours each day, in silence or praying the rosary, while the minibus carries the luggage. On the way you will meet walkers from all over Europe, and greetings take the old pilgrim cry, “Ultreia!”

The Aubrac stage crosses wide open country to the Dômerie, a hospital founded in the twelfth century to shelter pilgrims. At Conques, named from the Latin concha, “shell,” the abbey church of Sainte-Foy keeps its treasury and the windows of Pierre Soulages; in the evening, the canons welcome pilgrims for prayer and a blessing.

The week ends at Moissac, before the tympanum of the Apocalypse and the cloister completed in the year 1100. From there it is more than six hundred miles to the tomb of the apostle James.

Daily prayer

On this way walking is part of the prayer, with a stage on foot on six of the eight days and a few hours in silence or with the rosary.

This landFour of the great roads to Compostela cross France, and the Le Puy route has been walked since a bishop of Le Puy set out on it in the tenth century.

Each day

Lauds before the stage, a first hour of walking in silence, the rosary on the way, Mass at the end of the day, and the evening meal shared with the pilgrims met on the road.

The rites of this way

  • The credential, stamped from stage to stage
  • The pilgrims’ blessing at the early Mass in Le Puy
  • The evening blessing at Conques
  • The sending toward Compostela at Moissac

Before you leave

Walk regularly in the shoes you will wear, and pray the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 120 to 134 (119 to 133 in older Catholic Bibles).

The fruit of the way

The experience of praying with the body, and perhaps the wish to walk on to Compostela.

Who it is forWalkers in good health.

Day by day

Eight days on the Le Puy route, with a stage on foot on six of them; the minibus links the stages. The program is indicative until the way is opened for booking.

  1. Day I

    PeregrinusBecoming a pilgrim

    Paris to Le Puy-en-Velay

    The high-speed train to Saint-Étienne, then the minibus to Le Puy, about an hour and a quarter, and the cathedral on its rock

    Vespers in the cathedral of Le Puy

    Night in Le Puy
  2. Day II

    BenedictioSent out

    Le Puy-en-Velay

    The credential, then the first stage through the Velay

    The pilgrims’ Mass and blessing, early in the morning

    Night in the Margeride
  3. Day III

    SilentiumWalking in silence

    The Margeride

    A stage across the high plateau, among pines and granite

    A morning walked in silence, the rosary in the afternoon

    Night on the Aubrac
  4. Day IV

    HospitalitasWelcome

    The Aubrac

    The wide open country of the Aubrac, as far as the Dômerie

    Prayer at the Dômerie, the pilgrims’ hospital of the Aubrac

    Night on the Aubrac
  5. Day V

    FidesFaith

    Conques

    The descent to Conques, and the treasury of Sainte-Foy if it has reopened

    The evening blessing of pilgrims at Sainte-Foy

    Night in Conques
  6. Day VI

    PerseverantiaPerseverance

    Conques to Figeac

    Across the Lot to Figeac

    The Psalms of Ascent, prayed on the way

    Night in Figeac
  7. Day VII

    UltreiaOnward

    Figeac to Cahors, across the Quercy

    Across the limestone causses of the Quercy

    Mass in the cathedral of Cahors

    Night in Cahors
  8. Day VIII

    Sursum cordaLift up your hearts

    Moissac

    The cloister and the tympanum of Moissac, then the minibus to Toulouse airport, about an hour

    The closing Mass at Moissac, and the sending toward Compostela

    Last day

Masses, private openings and some visits are requested for each group and remain subject to the consent of rectors, curators and communities.

This way is in preparation; its route and length are indicative. Register your interest and we will write when the dates are set.

The holy places of this way: Le Puy-en-Velay, Aubrac, Conques, Figeac, Cahors, Moissac.

Further reading: Le Puy-en-Velay: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Our Lady of Le Puy; Conques: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Abbey of Saint Faith; Rocamadour: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Our Lady of Rocamadour; Black Madonnas of France: A Pilgrim’s Guide.

The saints of this way: Saint Faith.

This way can also be made at a gentle pace, with two or three days in Paris before or after.

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