“Hurling torrents of peace through the civilized corridors”

Homage to a Saint by Simon Tugwell, OP

I knew the experience of going on a pilgrimage was going to be awesome, but I did not realize how it would change me for the better. The first days in Carcassonne we shared the abbey with a group of young children who were at camp. The background noise of happy children was a beautiful soundtrack to our study. As we passed the halfway mark on the pilgrimage I was amazed at how calm, how at peace, I felt despite the chaos around the closing on my first house. It all worked out without my intervention or panic. It was a glorious feeling.

My gratitude to the community for sending me on a pilgrimage will be eternal. I think my mom would have been so proud that I was selected to go, and I thought about my mom a lot on the pilgrimage. Seeing Shingai and her mom, Lilian, made me miss my mom even more. I lit a candle for her in one of the Churches we visited. During a ritual at Signadou, I became overwhelmed by the loss. I needed a mom-hug, and Lilian gives the best mom-hugs!

Beyond the amazing food, I met some truly incredible people who taught me all sorts of things I never knew before. Here are some of the things I learned:

• The Dominican Blessing
• The rites and rituals of everyday life
• The Oxford movement (I’ll talk about this during my presentation coming soon)
• The Statue of Mary with Jesus in my office: the pike may represent the piercing of Mary’s heart
• The Dominican Spirit is so much more than religion. All the OPs we have met are kind, loving and generous with their time
• Prayer is so much more than saying/doing specific things
• April 25th is more than just the day I started, it’s likely the day the first two men became Dominican Friars

The kindness was infectious. Everyone we met, everyone who hosted us, and everyone we talked to was so generous with their time and their works. The associates and lay people I met reminded me that those who work for and with the Sisters are all such lovely people. The Sisters are beautiful in their joy and who could resist such joy? We all became filled with the spirit of infinite dignity and grace. By the last day of our pilgrimage, I felt truly unburdened by my worries and fears.

Everyone was given the opportunity to participate in daily prayers. Some led songs, others demonstrated the 9 ways of prayer, and several readings. I was asked to do a reading from Bede Jarrett, OP:

How similar this is to something I hold dear! My motto is: no archive is complete unless everyone's voice is heard. This reading made me realize that I too Preach. I preach through preservation, through my custodial role as archivist.

Everything we need comes at the right time. We did a ritual at Signadou where we paired up with someone with whom we shared our dreams and then lit a candle to place at the feet of the St Dominic statue. I want to share my dream with you:

As I shared this, I realized that the Sisters have given me the ability to see my dream realized. In the immortal words of Rholand Dhal:

The Fanjeaux Pilgrimage changed my life in so many wonderful ways. I will be eternally grateful to the Community for allowing me to share in this experience. I am renewed with the Dominican Spirit!