Bienvenu en France ! Shortly after arrival and boarding our bus, we enjoy lunch at Restaurant Le Bossu in Paris. We visit the beautiful and historic Church of St. Sulpice for a Mass of Thanksgiving. It is here where St. Louis de Montfort was a Sulpician seminarian and celebrated his first Mass at the Chapel of the Holy Angels. Saint-Sulpice is the 2nd largest church in Paris after Notre-Dame, the Cathedral of Paris, and as is known as a “stone catechism” in the heart of the city. Its vast and quiet nave is spacious, beautifully lit, and incredibly sacred, echoing the holiness of St. Louis de Montfort. It is also home to the massive and legendary Cavaille-Coll pipe organs, Delacroix’s murals in the Chapel of Angels, and the Saint-Sulpice gnomon | meridian line - an astronomical time-keeping device which uses the beam of sunlight shining through a tiny aperture.

Following Mass, we enjoy unforgettable tour of Notre Dame, Cathedral of Paris.

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Paris.

Following breakfast and check-out at the hotel, we travel to Chartres (1.5 hours). We tour the famed Gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame de Chartres which is believed to house the Sancta Camisa – the tunic Our Lady wore at the birth of Jesus! A UNESCO World Heritage site, this cathedral was built between 1134 and 1260 and is renowned for its vibrant and intricate stained glass - “Bible in Glass”, its 13th century labyrinth, and the famous Chartres Blue used throughout which is regarded as among the most beautiful medieval artistries in the world. Mass is celebrated here this day. It is here where St. Louis de Montfort made a pilgrimage by foot from Paris as part of an annual tradition for seminarians (around 1699). The pilgrimage solidified his path of devotion to Our Lady as the surest way to Jesus – a core theme in his writings such as “The True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”. Lunch on your own and free time in Chartres (schedule permitting) before our departure to Saint Laurent-sur-Sevre (3 hours).

Check-in, dinner & overnight in St. Laurent-sur-Sevre: Mother House of the Montfortian Missionaries.

Full Day Retreat Program at the Mother House of the Montfortian Missionaries. This House serves as the historic home base of the congregation founded by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort and is the final resting place of the beloved saint who died here in 1716. The Mother House, the heart of the Montfortian family, remains a working religious community and pilgrimage site, and is closely linked to the Basilica of St. Louis de Montfort nearby.

All meals, Holy Mass, & overnight at the Mother House.

Following breakfast, we visit the Graves of the Founders: that of St. Louis de Montfort and of Bl. Marie-Louise Tichet (co-founder of the Daughters of Wisdom) who is buried next to him. We then tour the Maison Longue, a small museum connected to the early history of the Montfortian family. Named the “Long House” due to its narrow and long structure, early Montfortians lived upstairs in a dozen small, simple cells. The museum is dedicated to the life and works of St. Louis de Montfort and the way of life of the Daughters of Wisdom. Continued Retreat Program follows.

All meals, Holy Mass, & overnight at the Mother House.

Day at Puy du Fou:

Following breakfast at the Mother House, we enjoy a Full day at Puy du Fou, the world-renowned historical amusement park! We enjoy breathtaking live reenactments which bring Christian heritage to life - from the courage of early martyrs to the faith of medieval knights and the beauty of Christendom. Through inspiring spectacles, live shows, historic cinematography and moving story-telling, this day provides not only an unforgettable adventure in what is often called "the best amusement park in the world" , but also provides a renewed sense of faith and spiritual joy!

Holy Mass, dinner & overnight at the Mother House.

Today we celebrate the 30th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s visit to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre which occurred on September 19, 1996! Following breakfast, a program of festivities is scheduled with continued Retreat Format following.

All meals, Holy Mass, & overnight at the Mother House.

Full Day Retreat at the Mother House of the Montfortian Missionaries. Parish Mass is celebrated at the Basilica of St. Louis de Montfort.

All meals & overnight here this day.

Following breakfast at the Mother House, we travel for a day trip to Poitiers (2 hours). A hilltop medieval town with winding streets, charming stone buildings and several viewpoints over the river valleys of the Clain and the Boivre, Poitiers is lively with students, cafes, bookstores, and shops. It is known for being unusually rich in Romanesque-Gothic churches and early Catholic heritage. St. Louis de Montfort’s time in Poitiers was pivotal, as it is here where he served as a hospital chaplain and co-founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Wisdom, underscoring his call to serve the poor and infirmed. Here he ministered to the marginalized, transformed a poorhouse and became a renowned missionary and saint through his True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mass is celebrated this day in the Montbernage area, where St. Louis de Montfort often preached beginning in 1705. Lunch on your own. Schedule permitting, we stop at the nearby medieval town of Saint Pompain, where after his death, followers of the saint established a notable presence making it a part of the traditional Montfortian pilgrimage route (connecting the places of his birth and his death).

Dinner & final night at the Mother House.

After our final breakfast and check-out at the Mother House, we travel to Pontchateau in Brittany, France (2 hours). Here we see the most famous Catholic landmark of the city: the Grand Calvaire (the Great Calvary) – the very large, outdoor Way of the Cross originally inspired by St. Louis de Montfort. This significant site features life-sized stations with an imposing Crucifixion scene at the top and was built by the saint to encourage devotion to the Passion of Christ . Over the years, it has expanded into the remarkable complex seen today, featuring a Way of the Cross, Golgotha and a museum.. The Stations of the Cross is prayed with time for personal reflection prior to Mass at Eglise Saint Martin de Pontchateau. Lunch on your own at Le Clos de Melanie in Pontchateau, and as schedule permits, a possible meeting with the Montfort communities nearby. We travel this evening to Rennes, the capital of the region of Brittany (1.5 hours).

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Rennes.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel to Montfort-sur-Meu, the birthplace of St. Louis de Montfort, where Mass is celebrated at Eglise Saint-Louis-Marie

(.5 hour). We stroll through the town and visit several places connected to St. de Montfort’s early years, including the Natal House, the historic house where the saint was born. We see the St. Lazare hermitage - a quiet, small, wooded area where he often prayed and meditated. We visit the village of Iffendic nearby and see Le Bois-Marquer, a noble house purchased by the parents of then Bl. de Montfort, who settled there in 1675. Beginning when St. Louis de Montfort was 2 years old, he lived there for several years and often returned during holidays. A classic glimpse of rural Brittany, the Faith breathes within nature here, not just within the walls of the church. Lunch follows at L’Ardoise Broceliande in Bedee for Breton traditional cuisine. We return to Rennes this afternoon for free time as schedule permits.

Dinner & overnight in Rennes.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel to the extraordinary Mont-Saint-Michel (one hour). St. Louis de Montfort is reported to have pilgrimaged there for the feast of St. Michael to pray and to prepare spiritually for his mission work. From there he returned to Brittany continuing missions and mentioning “after the pilgrimage” in his future discourses.

This tidal island, located off the northwestern coast of Normandy, is one of the earliest places inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its rich heritage and dramatic natural setting. Mass is celebrated at the parish church of St. Peter in the village on the Mount (distinct from the Abbey above).

Lunch follows at La Rotisserie nearby.

Our visit today centers around the majestic Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey. To reach the abbey, our group will first be dropped off by bus approximately 1.5 miles from the shuttle point. A shuttle will then take us to within 270 yards of the island entrance. From there, we continue on foot along the cobblestone streets through the medieval village, covering about 250 more yards to reach the base of the climb.

PLEASE NOTE: The ascent to the abbey involves climbing 350 steps known as the “Grand Degré,” beginning near the parish church. There is no elevator access, so this day requires a good degree of mobility and a high degree of physical fitness. However, the effort is rewarded with both breathtaking views and a profound spiritual experience. Mont-Saint-Michel's religious significance dates to the year 708, when St. Michael the Archangel appeared to Bishop Aubert of Avranches in a vision, instructing him to build a sanctuary on the rocky mount. After two additional apparitions, the bishop carried out the heavenly command, and a chapel was built in honor of St. Michael. Nearly 300 years later, Benedictine monks settled on the island and began organizing the structures into

a formal monastery to welcome pilgrims. The monks offered hospitality and spiritual formation to those who came seeking prayer and penance. Over the centuries, the abbey has endured wars, destruction, and secularization—particularly during the French Revolution, when it was converted into a prison. In the 20th century, efforts were made to restore the sacred character of the site. Today, the Monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem resides at Mont-Saint-Michel, carrying on the tradition of prayer and community life. This evening, we return to Remmes.

Dinner & overnight in Rennes.

An early breakfast and check-out and we begin our travel to Paris with stops along the way in Laval and Le Mans with lunch on your own near Chartres (5 hours). Both cities offer the peace and beauty of France of yesteryear, and house spectacular churches such as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Cathedral of St. Julian which will be visited as schedule allows.

Last pilgrimage Mass (time and location to be confirmed) with free time upon arrival in Paris.

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Paris.

Following our last breakfast and check-out at the hotel, we transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for your return flight home. May the spirit of St. Louis de Montfort’s devotion and faith stay with you always! Dieu Seul!