In this article, Abbé Jean-Luc Blanchette talks about the history of Mont Saint-Michel and his experience of this extraordinary sanctuary in France.
I’ve long been fascinated by the rhythms of the sea and its waves. I love to sit for long moments on the shore, letting myself be lulled by the rhythm of the waves and losing my gaze in this infinity.
The Bay of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy has always captured my attention in the various documentaries I’ve seen. The Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel is the scene of the highest tides in continental Europe, with a difference of up to 15 meters between low and high tide. The sea then reaches the coast “at the speed of a galloping horse”, as the saying goes.
The history of Mont Saint-Michel
Founded in the Middle Ages, the abbey built on this rocky islet dominates the landscape and has established itself over the centuries. In 708, an oratory was erected in honor of the archangel Saint Michael.
In 960, Benedictine monks settled here and founded an abbey. It was at this time that pilgrimages began. Mont Saint-Michel is on one of the routes leading to Compostela in Spain. Walkers and pilgrims would go there to implore the protection of St. Michael, archangel protector and patron saint of Normandy and France.
Since 2001, the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem have been providing a religious presence. Every day, the community gathers for services, to pray and sing the glory of God.
The impact of a pilgrimage to Mont Saint-Michel
For me, a visit to this special place means joining a journey that has been going on for over a thousand years. It means following in the footsteps of those who preceded me in the faith, to find a rhythm and meaning to my steps today.
It means immersing myself in a history full of twists and turns and challenges. It means soaking up the audacity of these builders and finding solid foundations for my current life.
Over time, improvements have been made, such as the new footbridge spanning Saint-Michel Bay, and restorations have given this thousand-year-old edifice a facelift, such as the statue of Saint Michel restored and redecorated a few years ago.
To visit such a place, to pause for a time of prayer, to contemplate the unique landscapes of this bay, to walk through this medieval village, is to tread on sacred ground.
It seems to me that contemplating so much beauty outside ourselves can only lead us to go inward. Take the time to connect with the rhythm of our inner experience.
To marvel at what we’ve been able to build up inside ourselves over the years; to revisit the faces of people who’ve walked a part of the road with us; to revisit the paths we’ve trodden, to draw from them the rich elements we need to readjust and continue our journey.
Visiting this sacred place also means uniting with Saint Michael to defend that which is most precious to us: the conviction that we are the Father’s beloved child.
It means letting this archangel become a real defender in the midst of the battles that life brings us. It also means defending the certainty that we are never alone. God journeys with us as a person and as humanity.
This is what I feel when I think about what I’d like to experience on my way to Mont Saint-Michel. May visiting this unique, sacred place send me back to what’s unique in me.
When I accompany pilgrimages, that’s what touches me most about the people who live the experience. I try to give them opportunities to connect with what’s inside them. So that the beauty of the places they visit turns them towards their inner beauty, which is the constant presence of God.
Pope Francis' prayer to the Archangel Saint Michael
Saint Michael, pray for us!
“O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, you who bring the world the consoling news of the victory of good over evil: open our lives to hope. The Lord of the universe has made you powerful against the forces of the enemy: unmask the traps of the Devil and the spirit of the world. Make us victorious against the temptations of power, wealth and sensuality. Be the bulwark against all machinations that threaten the serenity of the Church; be the sentinel of our thoughts, freeing us from the onslaught of worldly mentality; be the spiritual guide who sustains us in the good fight of faith. O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, who always contemplates the Holy Face of God, keep us steadfast on the path to Eternity. Amen.” – Pope Francis
Article written by Father Jean-Luc Blanchette.
N.B.: In autumn 2024, Father Jean-Luc Blanchette will accompany a group on the pilgrimage “Les plus beaux sanctuaires de France”, which will include a visit to Mont Saint-Michel.
