Zaragoza: Walking with Blessed Chaminade

Before beginning to walk the Camino, we spent a few days in Zaragoza. During the French Revolution, Fr. Chaminade (the Marianist Founder) was forced into exile for three years and chose to spend this time in Zaragoza where one of his brothers and other French priests were living in exile. He spent a lot of time in prayer before the shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar. It was there that he received some sort of inspiration so that when he returned to France, the l work of his life began - rebuilding the faith in France by gathering men and women into communities of faith and mission under the guidance of Mary. 

As the name suggests, Our Lady or the Pillar is a statue of Mary on top of a pillar. You can’t actually see much of the pillar because it is covered with an apron of sorts. The statue itself is relatively small - less than two feet. But the basilica itself is quite huge. 

The Basilica also provided a nice view for lunch. 

The story of “El Pilar” is that the apostle St. James was sent to the Iberian peninsula (what is now Spain) to preach the Gospel. However, he wasn’t having much luck and was ready to throw in the towel and return to Jerusalem. To encourage him, Mary appeared to him (while still living, no less) standing on…….a pillar. Buoyed by this visit, St. James continued his mission and the rest is history. 

Don’t forget that we are walking the Camino de Santiago - Santiago is the Spanish name for St. James and the ending is at the Cathedral of Santiago where the tomb of St. James is reported to be. So Zaragoza and the Camino are linked together by St. James. 

There’s St. James!

One of the HIGHlights was going to the top of one of the towers of the basilica. The views were incredible. 

We were able to arrange to celebrate Mass at the parish church of San Gil. When he was in Zaragoza, Fr. Chaminade lived very close to this parish and his name appears in its registry. He would have celebrated Mass there himself many times. What a special place to be!

We stayed at the Marianist community at Santa Maria del Pilar school. They took good care of us, and staying there allowed us to rest up for the adventures to come.

The community chapel. Yep, there’s an Our Lady of the Pillar in there. 

The school chapel from the road. 

It also allowed the group to come together and get to know each other better. Last night’s dinner was full of much laughter, including from my colleague Dr. Nick Rademacher, a professor in Religious Studies at UD. 

While in Zaragoza, I also celebrated my birthday. We got ice cream. I might need to celebrate subsequent birthdays out of the USA. 

I’m writing this on a train headed to Astorga, our launch point for the Camino itself. The next post will come from El Camino de Santiago! One editorial note: this time on the Camino, my plan is to post every few days rather than every day. 

Buen Camino!

Our Lady of the Pillar

Today, October 12, is the celebration of Our Lady of the Pillar.  For those who have never heard this title of Mary, it's what it sounds like - it is a shrine in Zaragoza, Spain, with...well...Mary atop a Pillar.  I was able to visit the Shrine while I was in Spain this summer.

As the story goes, the apostle James was in Spain preaching the Gospel and things weren't going well.  Mary appeared to him (on top of a pillar) to encourage him in his endeavors.  Of course, Spain was eventually converted and the Spaniards continue to honor St. James.  In a weird twist, according to most chronologies, Mary was still alive when she appeared to James - meaning that she could bilocate.  Mary, as Our Lady of the Pillar, is venerated in Spain and many parts of Latin America.

The "dress" is changed every day.  On Fr. Chaminade's feast day, it has a Marianist cross on it.

For us Marianists, this is a big day, too.  (Woohoo Festa!)  On October 11, 1797 (the day before the feast), Marianist Founder Blessed William Joseph Chaminade arrived in Zaragoza.  He had just been exiled from his native France because of the ongoing persecutions of the French Revolution.  He would spend the next three years in Zaragoza, spending a great deal of time praying before the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar.  And during those three years, something happened.  Yes, something, because we don't really know what happened.  Fr. Chaminade wrote practically nothing about his time in Spain, and only mentioned it in passing.  However, he received some sort of inspiration or mission before Our Lady of the Pillar to return to France and "re-Christianize" the country devastated by the Revolution.

The Parish of St. Gil.  Many believe that this is where Fr. Chaminade stayed in Zaragoza, but there is no definitive record of his place of residence.

The road leading up to the Basilica.

The Basilica from across the river.

It's ready for a close up.

It was in Zaragoza that Fr. Chaminade began to develop a plan of bringing all types of people together into Sodalities (like faith sharing groups) as a means of evangelization.  Of course, this then led to the foundation of Marianist Lay Communities, The Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Marianist Sisters) and the Society of Mary (Marianist Brothers and Priests.)

This is a depiction of the Assumption of Mary above the main altar in the chapel of the Shrine. 

Our Lady of the Pillar.

To be honest, the Basilica and the Shrine itself aren't anything extraordinary.  Yes, the church is beautiful.  Yes, the architecture is stunning.  Yes, the shrine is important and a holy place.  But there was nothing that really stood out for me....except...It was very powerful and moving to be in a place where Fr. Chaminade prayed and spent much time.  As I sat before the shrine, it was somewhat overwhelming (in a good way) to think that Fr. Chaminade saw what I was looking at.  As corny as it sounds, it was also very cool to think I was walking where Fr. Chaminade had walked as well.  Also, I was struck by the constant line of pilgrims - folks of all different types coming to pray before the shrine.  Obviously, some brought deep concerns and challenges, just hoping to find some consolation in whatever form it would take.  To me, this was more extraordinary than any architecture or statue that I saw. 

The main altar of the Basilica.

The piazza outside the Basilica.

Fr. Chaminade is reported to have once said after the three Branches were founded: "As I saw you in Zaragoza, so I see you today."  We don't really know what he meant by this - a mystical experience, simple poetic license, or a memory of his exile - but we do know that during his time in Zaragoza, a seed was planted and started to germinate under the guidance and inspiration of Mary.  Marianists often joke that, even though Fr. Chaminade "saw us" so many years ago, he decided to go on with his plans anyways.  In conclusion, here's a few of the many Marianist influenced works that have grown out of that inspiration in Zaragoza. 

Some Marianists with "Chami."

Students at Our Lady of Nazareth in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Marianist Sisters' school in Barcelona.

The residents of Via Latina (my home) in Rome.

Worm Farm.  Yes, you read it correct.  This is from the Lay Marianist urban farm in Dayton.

And just one more....

One of the perks of being in Zaragoza was seeing my Jesuit friend Fr. Jaime who lives there.  We lived together in Boston.

Ciao!