Today, our pilgrimage took us to the city of Toulouse, which dates back to the 2nd century and today is France’s 4th largest. In France, the city is referred to as “La Ville Ros
e,” as most of its buildings were constructed from pink hued bricks built from the clay that is found in the river that flows through the region and city, the Garonne.
We began by visiting “La Basilique Saint-Sernin,” the largest Romanesque pilgrimage church in Europe and built in the late 11th / early 12th centuries. The church is named for Saint Sernin, the first Bishop of Toulouse from mid 3rd century. We learned about Saint Sernin’s martyrdom in a narrative provided by Dr. Mary Haymann. I’ll take the opportunity here to praise Mary and her husband, Dr. Francois Haymann, both of whom have served as our hosts and France experts while on the pilgrimage. The Haymanns also serve as hosts for the summer program, along with Trudi Goggin from Dominican University in IL. Trudi, along with her former Dominican University campus ministry colleague Sue Kaszynski oversee the programming and agenda for the summer program and coupled with the Haymanns have been amazing in their knowledge and helping bring our pilgrimage into the context of our Dominican heritage and the work we do on our respective campuses.
Certainly La Basilique Saint-Sernin is beautiful and massive. Also very powerful to experience was its Crypt, outside of Rome, the largest collection of holy relics in Europe, including those of Saint Sernin. Also in the ambulatory of the Crypt are numerous marble bas-reliefs, including “Christ in Majesty,” which is one of the earliest depictions of Christ, in which he is portrayed as a young man, no beard, heavier set, hair parted in the middle, with more Roman or Greek features than we typically see. As we walked through the Crypt, again I experienced a sense of presence and awareness.
We then visited Les Jacobins, the Church of the Domi
nicans, and were blessed to have Fr. Silly join us to offer great insights and perspectives about the historical church; the Dominican Order when it was first formed and recognized was referred to as Jacobins, which comes from the location of their first convent in Paris in rue Saint Jacques. Dating back to 1230, the church was initially half its current height and size, built to reflect St. Dominic’s desires regarding a life and vow of poverty and simplicity. The church went through expansion to its current size in the 1300s, and that structure still remains, baring elements of its original beauty in limestone and brick that appears to have been painted in soft pastel hues of pink, green, yellow and tan. Its stained glass windows capture the sun’s rays and illuminate the walls inside with brilliant rainbow colors. After the French revolution and the Dominican order being banned, Napoleon took over the church and turned it into military barracks, adding floors to create two stories with the upper for dormitories and the lower level for armory and stables. Today, the lower level walls remain scarred from the armory and horses’ impact.
At the center of the church lie the relic remains of Dominican Saint Thomas Aquinas. We sat in the simple pews around Aquinas’ relics, listening to Fr. Silly offer reflections, including sharing with us that it was in this church on that alter that he presided over his first mass as a Dominican Friar, nearly twenty years ago. I couldn’t help but observe the symmetry of listening to a wonderful, intelligent Friar from today at the footsteps where rests one of the most revered Dominican saints.
Fr. Silly then took us on a tour of the Church’s Cloister, including time in The Chamber and in The Mortuary Chapel. Within the Monastery, the Friars would gather together in The Chamber, and the Mortuary Chapel was for the Friars who passed away. I couldn’t help but notice the stained glass windows in the Mortuary Chapel, depicting the Fleur-de-Lis in brilliant blue and white… not surprisingly, I thought of our Albertus Magnus College blue and white colors!
After leaving the Church of the Jacobins, walking through the streets of Toulouse and grabbing some lunch, we finished our day with a visit to Maison Pierre Seilhan, the home in Toulouse where it has been confirmed St. Dominic and his other early Friar brothers resided. We gathered with Fr. Silly in a small room, now transformed into a chapel, to hear stories of the house’s Dominican history. I continue to find myself with a deep sense of awe, admiration, and amazement that I have been blessed to visit these historic sites where our Dominican founders slept, walked, talked, and preached eight centuries ago. A great gift for which I am grateful beyond words.
Tomorrow we will begin with mass, celebrated by Fr. Silly, and then journey to see the Niaux Cave, with wall paintings dating back 35,000 years. My brain isn’t yet ready to comprehend that experience. I am hopeful sleep and prayer will assist.