Another early morning, and we were off to see some saints.

First up: St. Vincent de Paul.

The church containing his incorrupt body is, like all the churches we’ve seen in France, just beautiful, with images and details that could take days to explore completely.

You can climb a steep marble stairway to get a close look at the saint’s remains, on display high above the altar.

After spending time with St. Vincent, we walked a short distance to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, which led to the creation of what we now know as the Miraculous Medal.

St. Catherine’s incorrupt body is in the chapel, along with the chair on which the Blessed Mother was sitting during one of the apparitions.

Here is where we celebrated our daily Mass, and it was an experience for me both humbling and overwhelming. I preached about my own connection with the Miraculous Medal, and my family’s consistent praying of the novena before I was born. After three miscarriages, my mother finally had another child.

And that child was me.

I said, in part:

It’s hard for me to put this into words.

For so long I’ve wanted to come here, to the place where it all began, to say to our Lady in a special way, very simply, “Thank you.” Or in the more elegant language of St. Catherine Laboure: “Merci.” (I knew my high school French would come in handy one day!)

I stand before you as a reminder that nothing will be impossible for God — because as the psalmist told us this morning, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”

When you get right down to it, that’s the message of this pilgrimage. It’s the message of Joan of Arc, of Therese of Lisieux, of Bernadette, of Fatima, and the message of our Lady to St. Catherine. Have faith. Have hope. God is near.

The Lord IS close to the brokenhearted. Think of the countless people, millions around the world, across 150 years, who have prayed this novena, who have turned to the Blessed Mother for help and for hope.

God is close to so many others with broken hearts. And he is close to all of us here today. Thank God for that. I encourage you: make that a part of your pilgrimage. Take home more than great pictures and chocolates from Rouen. Take home a spirit of gratitude — thankful for the beautiful, often hidden nearness of God…

There is only one more thing to say. I invite you to join me in the prayer we all know so well. The words are engraved on the Miraculous Medal:

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee…”

Thank you. Merci! 

We finished Mass — we were told we had to be done in 45 minutes, and I think we clocked in at about 35 — and then returned to the bus to visit yet another old church that we’d heard about in the heart of Paris.

Notre Dame. 

To see this great testament to faith, several months after it was restored and rededicated, is simply thrilling. You sense the history, the beauty, the sacredness — and the sheer human audacity that went into creating a place like this in the first place, and then rebuilding it after so much of it was destroyed by fire.

While today it is more of a museum and tourist stop than house of worship, I was impressed to see several parts of the church are closed off for private prayer. People still know why this place matters — and the lines snaking outside the front door to gain admission reminded me of what most of us experience at Disney World. This iconic church — with its signature relic, the crown of thorns — remains a huge draw, attracting people of deep faith and those with no faith. They just want to be there and see it for themselves.

What a blessing to be here.

Next: a quick ride across town to take the obligatory picture in front of the Eiffel Tower.

A passerby even agreed to shoot a quick video for us: 4 seconds of wonderful whimsy.

My pastor posed for a classic pilgrim picture in front of our bus.

After that, it was back to the hotel, near the Arc de Triumph, to rest before dinner.

We wrapped up the day with a memorable dinner cruise on the Seine, complete with a glittering light show on the Eiffel Tower.

 

What a day.

Tomorrow, we head to Sacre Couer — and then, Lourdes!