The 41st pilgrimage to Chartres will take place from May 27 to 29 on the theme “The Eucharist, salvation of souls”. On this occasion, we met a historical figure of this pilgrimage: Max Champoiseau, who is at the origin of it and who was its director from the first edition in 1983 until 1989, while remaining active in the organization and by being a founding member of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté which took over the Charlier Center in 1993 to organize it.
La Nave – Could you tell us how the Chartres pilgrimage was born?
Max Champoiseau – At the end of 1981, I was reading L’Aurore and I was surprised by an article on the Church which specified that in ten years, there had been a very significant disappearance of religious practice. Faced with this observation, I had the deep conviction that it was necessary to put the Catholics of France back on the road to Chartres. During the baptism of our second daughter, of whom Bernard Antony was the godfather, I spoke to him for the first time of my desire for pilgrimage.
In early 1982, at the end of a meeting of Charlier Center activists in Paris, I invited Rémi Fontaine to dinner and took advantage of this opportunity to talk to him about what I had in mind. In July 1982, at the Summer University of the Charlier Center of which Bernard Antony was the founding President, Rémi and I relaunched the idea of the pilgrimage and, after much discussion and careful advice from Bernard, the decision was decision to organize the Chartres Pilgrimage for Pentecost 1983.
Following the first pilgrimage, during the debriefing meeting, Rémi Fontaine asked the question: “Who should lead the pilgrimage? » ; and Bernard replied: “It’s Max”.
What were the main obstacles to the organization and then to the maintenance of this pilgrimage?
After 1983, we had to rethink the whole organization: to advertise; redo the entire route when there are five departments to cross; resume contact with the prefectures, town halls, gendarmeries and the priests of the parishes where the bivouacs were installed; improving the health service; manage the stewardship of meals, collective tents, toilets and sinks, transport of bags, transport of tired pilgrims, mineral water for three days (40 tons), lighting of bivouacs and garbage cans, etc. . Also reorganize the march of pilgrims into chapters, train heads of chapters and assistants.
We also had to face the obstacles that the civil powers and religious authorities placed in our path. However, we had the audacity to put on the road, over 104 kilometres, thousands of people and entire families because, for us, it was a family pilgrimage.
What struck you the most in the stages that marked the life of the Chartres pilgrimage?
After each pilgrimage, the militants of the Charlier Center and the secretariat worked again on the organization of the next Pentecost, taking into account the significant increase in participants. What was essential for us was knowing that all the teams (more than 16 teams, or more than 250 people) had their manager and a deputy. It was up to them to find volunteers to form their teams. Concerning the itinerary, it was necessary to confirm or modify the route that had been chosen the previous year every year (impassable paths or routes prohibited by the gendarmerie), which involved many weekends spent in the field to establish a road book.
What were your relations with the bishops and the public authorities?
In Paris, we had no contact with the archbishop because we did not say mass there and Notre-Dame de Paris was always open to us. The only bishop with whom we had contact was Bishop Kuehn, who asked us on each call if we agreed to celebrate the arrival mass in the new liturgy. As our answer was negative, the cathedral was closed to us, the mass was celebrated outside. Except in 1985, not because of the indult of 1984 which we refused, but because I had worn out Bishop Kuehn, exhausted by my tireless and courteous reminders. Finally, the cathedral of Chartres was definitively opened to us in 1989, after our refusal of the coronations and the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei of July 2, 1988.
How do you see the pilgrimage today? What conclusions do you draw from all these years?
Regarding the spiritual fruits obtained, we remember what the priests transmitted to us: numerous conversions, priestly and religious vocations, marriages, solid friendships. Deo gratias!
For my part, after 1989, no longer having the responsibility of organizing the pilgrimage, I took on the responsibility of having three Calvaries built and placed on the pilgrimage route. The first, landed in Choisel in 1994 on the last climb before the bivouac on Saturday evening. The second in 1995 at the entrance to the bivouac on Sunday evening, at Gas. In 1996, the third Calvary was placed at Plessis-Robinson. During his blessing, the Mayor, Mr. Pemezec, was present with part of his municipal council.
Pcomments collected by Christophe Geffroy
Clean. :
Let’s point out the beautiful anniversary album Chartres generations. 40 years of pilgrimage of Christianity (€19.50 on the website).
© LA NEF n° 358 Mai 2023
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