The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Paris, France

Christianity came to Paris through blood. Around 250 AD, Denis—sent from Rome to convert the Gauls—was beheaded on the hill that would become Montmartre, the "Mount of Martyrs." According to legend, he picked up his severed head and walked several miles north, preaching all the way, before finally collapsing where the royal basilica bearing his name now stands. Two centuries later, a young woman named Geneviève convinced the terrified citizens of Paris not to flee as Attila's Huns approached. The city prayed. The Huns turned away. Paris has never forgotten its patron saint. Today pilgrims find in Paris an extraordinary concentration of sacred sites: the Crown of Thorns at Notre-Dame Cathedral, recently restored to splendor after the 2019 fire; the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labouré at the chapel where Mary appeared to her in 1830; perpetual Eucharistic adoration maintained without interruption at Sacré-Cœur since 1885. The city that calls itself the "Eldest Daughter of the Church" continues to draw the faithful from every corner of the world.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The story of Catholic Paris begins with martyrdom. Bishop Denis arrived from Rome in the third century to evangelize the Gauls and was executed on the northern heights of the city around 250 AD. The site of his martyrdom gave Montmartre its name, and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage that would eventually host the burial place of nearly every French king. St. Geneviève shaped the city's identity in the fifth century. Born around 422 in nearby Nanterre, she was consecrated as a virgin at age seven by St. Germanus of Auxerre, who recognized something extraordinary in the child. When Attila and his Huns threatened Paris in 451, Geneviève organized the city's women in a marathon of prayer and fasting. She convinced the citizens to stay rather than flee. The Huns bypassed Paris entirely. When famine struck, Geneviève personally led a convoy of boats up the Seine to bring grain back to the starving city. She died around 512, and her tomb became Paris's most venerated shrine until revolutionaries burned her relics in 1793. The medieval period saw Paris become the intellectual capital of Christendom. The University of Paris, founded in the twelfth century, drew scholars from across Europe to study theology and philosophy. It was here that St. Thomas Aquinas taught and St. Bonaventure preached. Notre-Dame Cathedral rose on the Île de la Cité beginning in 1163, its construction spanning nearly two centuries. King Louis IX—later canonized as St. Louis—built Sainte-Chapelle between 1239 and 1248 specifically to house the Crown of Thorns, which he had purchased from the Latin Emperor of Constantinople for 135,000 livres, more than three times what the chapel itself cost to build. The nineteenth century brought new apparitions and new devotions. On the night of July 18-19, 1830, a twenty-four-year-old novice named Catherine Labouré was awakened by a child who led her to the chapel at 140 Rue du Bac. There she found Mary seated in a chair, and for two hours they spoke together. In November, Mary appeared again, standing on a globe, rays of light streaming from her hands, surrounded by the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Catherine's confessor ordered a medal struck according to this design. Within two years, during a cholera epidemic that killed 20,000 Parisians, the Daughters of Charity distributed the first medals. Cures multiplied. People began calling it the "Miraculous Medal." The Basilica of the Sacred Heart rose on Montmartre between 1875 and 1914, built as an act of national penance following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Since August 1, 1885—before the basilica was even completed—Eucharistic adoration has continued without interruption, maintained day and night by the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre. This perpetual adoration continued even during the bombardments of World War II. Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered a devastating fire on April 15, 2019, that destroyed its medieval roof and iconic spire. The Crown of Thorns and other relics were rescued by the fire chaplain. After five years of intensive restoration, the cathedral reopened on December 7-8, 2024. Pope Francis sent a message calling the restoration "a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France."

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris Bishop Maurice de Sully laid the foundation stone in 1163, and construction continued until roughly 1345, producing one of the supreme achievements of Gothic architecture. The cathedral's flying buttresses, rose windows, and ribbed vaults influenced church-building across Europe for centuries. Notre-Dame houses the Crown of Thorns, displayed for veneration on the first Friday of each month and every Friday during Lent. The relic survived the 2019 fire when Father Jean-Marc Fournier, chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, rushed into the burning cathedral to retrieve it. After five years of restoration involving hundreds of master craftsmen using traditional techniques, Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024. The cathedral welcomes over 12 million visitors annually. Address 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris GPS 48.8530, 2.3499 Map Google Maps Web notredamedeparis.fr

Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse

Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal In this motherhouse chapel of the Daughters of Charity, the Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine Labouré three times in 1830. The young novice, just twenty-four years old, saw Mary seated in the sanctuary on July 18, conversed with her for two hours, and later received the design for what would become the most widely distributed religious medal in history. By 1876, over two billion Miraculous Medals had been struck. The chapel preserves the chair where Mary appeared and displays the incorrupt body of St. Catherine in a glass reliquary above a side altar. Her body was found perfectly preserved when exhumed in 1933, fifty-seven years after her death. The chapel also houses the relics of St. Louise de Marillac and the heart of St. Vincent de Paul. Two to three million pilgrims visit annually, making this France's second most-visited pilgrimage site after Lourdes. Address 140 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris GPS 48.8509, 2.3234 Map Google Maps Web chapellenotredamedelamedaillemiraculeuse.com

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre This Romano-Byzantine basilica crowns the highest point in Paris, rising from the very hill where St. Denis was martyred. Construction began in 1875 as a vow of national consecration following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War; the architect Paul Abadie designed it in white Château-Landon travertine stone that actually whitens when washed by rain. Perpetual Eucharistic adoration has continued here without interruption since August 1, 1885—over 139 years—maintained around the clock by the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The basilica's apse contains France's largest mosaic, depicting Christ in Majesty with arms outstretched, covering 473 square meters. The bell tower houses the Savoyarde, France's largest bell, weighing 18,835 kilograms. In 1534, Ignatius of Loyola and his companions made their vows on this hilltop, founding the Society of Jesus. Address 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris GPS 48.8867, 2.3431 Map Google Maps Web sacre-coeur-montmartre.com

Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis The first bishop of Paris was beheaded on Montmartre around 250 AD, but according to legend, he picked up his severed head and walked six miles north, preaching to the crowds, before finally collapsing at this spot. A chapel rose over his grave, replaced in the twelfth century by Abbot Suger's revolutionary new church—widely considered the first true Gothic building in the world. For over a thousand years, Saint-Denis served as the royal necropolis of France. Forty-two kings, thirty-two queens, and sixty-three princes lie buried here, from Dagobert I in 639 to Louis XVIII in 1824. During the Revolution, the tombs were violated and the remains thrown into mass graves; Louis XVIII later gathered what bones could be recovered into an ossuary. Today the crypt contains remarkable sculpted tombs spanning centuries of French royal history. Address 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis GPS 48.9354, 2.3596 Map Google Maps Web saint-denis-basilique.fr

Sainte-Chapelle

Holy Chapel King Louis IX built this royal chapel between 1239 and 1248 for a single purpose: to house the Crown of Thorns and other Passion relics he had acquired from Constantinople. The chapel cost 40,000 livres; the Crown of Thorns cost 135,000. The result is a jewel box of stone and glass rising in two levels: the lower chapel for palace servants and the upper chapel—a cage of fifteen stained-glass windows soaring nearly fifty feet high—for the king and his relics. The windows contain 1,113 biblical scenes across 670 square meters, two-thirds of which are original thirteenth-century glass. The rose window depicts the Apocalypse. Napoleon moved the Passion relics to Notre-Dame in 1806, where they remain, but Sainte-Chapelle endures as the finest surviving example of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. Address 10 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris GPS 48.8554, 2.3450 Map Google Maps Web sainte-chapelle.fr

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Church of Saint Stephen on the Mount This remarkable church, blending late Gothic and early Renaissance styles, guards what remains of Paris's patron saint. When revolutionaries burned Geneviève's body at the Place de Grève in 1793, fragments of her relics that had been distributed to other churches over the centuries were gathered and brought here. The reliquary containing these remains sits in a chapel decorated with scenes from her life. The church also possesses Paris's only surviving medieval rood screen, an elaborate stone structure separating nave from choir that escaped the destruction visited on similar screens throughout France. Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine lie buried here. Address Place Sainte-Geneviève, 75005 Paris GPS 48.8466, 2.3479 Map Google Maps Web saintetiennedumont.fr

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Feast of Saint Geneviève — January 3

Paris honors its patron saint with special Masses at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, where her relics rest. The faithful gather to venerate the reliquary and invoke her protection over the city. Geneviève's feast has been celebrated in Paris since the early medieval period; during the Middle Ages, her relics were processed through the streets in times of plague, flood, and invasion. The most famous of these processions occurred in 1129, when an epidemic of ergot poisoning known as the "burning fever" swept through Paris. When the reliquary was carried to Notre-Dame, thousands were healed.

Feast of the Miraculous Medal — November 27

The anniversary of Mary's second apparition to Catherine Labouré in 1830 draws vast crowds to the Rue du Bac chapel. Special Masses and devotions continue throughout the day as pilgrims venerate the incorrupt body of St. Catherine and pray before the chair where the Virgin appeared. November 28 marks the feast of St. Catherine Labouré herself. The Association of the Miraculous Medal organizes programs throughout the octave.

Corpus Christi and Eucharistic Processions — May/June

Paris maintains the tradition of public Eucharistic processions, particularly from Sacré-Cœur through the streets of Montmartre. These processions, typically held on Corpus Christi or during the octave, witness thousands of faithful walking behind the Blessed Sacrament through the city that has maintained perpetual adoration for nearly 140 years.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary — August 15

This solemnity holds particular significance in France. King Louis XIII consecrated the nation to Mary in 1638, and the Assumption remains a public holiday. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur, and the Miraculous Medal Chapel all celebrate with particular solemnity. Marian processions draw large crowds.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Pilgrim & Religious Accommodations: Guesthouse of the Basilica (pilgrim accommodation) — Adjacent to Sacré-Cœur, this guesthouse offers 170 beds in single rooms, doubles, and dormitories. Guests may participate in the basilica's perpetual adoration and liturgical celebrations. The Benedictine Sisters provide spiritual guidance. Website Adveniat Youth Hostel (pilgrim accommodation) — Run by Assumptionist religious near the Champs-Élysées, Adveniat welcomes pilgrims en route to Lourdes, Santiago, or visiting Paris's sacred sites. Community meals available; special pilgrim rates. Website Foyer Saint Jean Eudes (religious guesthouse) — A Catholic guesthouse in the 14th arrondissement run by the Eudist Fathers, offering 26 rooms for pilgrims, priests, religious, and laypeople. Chapel on site; peaceful atmosphere. Website Hotels: Hôtel des Saints Pères ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A 17th-century former private mansion in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, ten minutes' walk from the Miraculous Medal Chapel. Period furnishings and a tranquil courtyard. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Paris is served by two major airports. Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), 25 km northeast of the city center, handles most international flights. Orly Airport (ORY), 14 km south, serves European and domestic routes. Both airports connect to the city by RER train, bus, and taxi. By Train: Paris is the hub of France's high-speed TGV network, with six major stations. Gare du Nord receives Eurostar trains from London (2 hours 15 minutes) and Thalys from Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne. Gare de Lyon serves routes to southern France, Switzerland, and Italy. By Metro: Paris's extensive Métro system reaches all major pilgrimage sites. Notre-Dame: Line 4 to Cité or RER B/C to Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame. Miraculous Medal Chapel: Line 12 to Sèvres–Babylone or Line 10/12 to Sèvres–Babylone. Sacré-Cœur: Line 2 to Anvers or Line 12 to Abbesses (a funicular also ascends the hill). Saint-Denis: Line 13 to Basilique de Saint-Denis. Sainte-Chapelle: Line 4 to Cité. Saint-Étienne-du-Mont: Line 10 to Cardinal Lemoine or RER B to Luxembourg.

📚 Further Reading

Books: Dirvin, Joseph I. Saint Catherine Labouré of the Miraculous Medal — The definitive biography of the visionary, with 61 photographs including her incorrupt body. Heater, James and Colleen. The Pilgrim's France: A Travel Guide to the Saints — Comprehensive Catholic pilgrimage guide covering shrines from Normandy to the Riviera, including Paris's major sites. Online Resources: A Catholic's Guide to Paris, France — Detailed overview of Paris's Catholic heritage with practical visiting information. (The Catholic Travel Guide) The Apparitions and the Miraculous Medal — Official account of the 1830 apparitions from the Rue du Bac chapel. (Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal)

🎥 Recommended Videos

Explore with the Miracle Hunter: Paris by EWTN — Michael O'Neill investigates the Miraculous Medal apparitions at the Rue du Bac chapel, exploring the site where Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré. (30 minutes)

🔗 Useful Links

Archdiocese of Paris — Official diocesan website with Mass times, parish information, and news. Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal — Official site with visiting hours, history, and information on the apparitions. Basilica of the Sacred Heart — Official site with Mass schedule, perpetual adoration information, and guesthouse booking. RATP Paris Transport — Official Métro, bus, and RER information for navigating the city.

🥾 Pilgrim Routes

Via Turonensis — Paris serves as a gathering point for pilgrims walking the Via Turonensis, one of the four historic French routes to Santiago de Compostela. The route departs Paris heading southwest through Tours, Poitiers, and Bordeaux before crossing the Pyrenees into Spain.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Chartres (90 km) — The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres houses the Sancta Camisa, believed to be the tunic worn by Mary at the Annunciation. Its 176 stained-glass windows, most from the thirteenth century, represent the finest medieval glass in Europe. Pilgrims have walked from Paris to Chartres since the Middle Ages. Lisieux (180 km) — The Basilica of Saint Thérèse holds the relics of the "Little Flower," who lived her entire religious life in the Carmelite convent here. The second-largest pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes, Lisieux also preserves the Martin family home where Saints Louis and Zélie raised their future saint. Mont-Saint-Michel (360 km) — The island abbey dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years. Rising dramatically from the tidal flats of Normandy, it remains one of France's most iconic sacred sites.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"May the rebirth of this admirable church be a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France. I invite all the baptized who will joyfully enter this Cathedral to feel a legitimate sense of pride, and to reclaim their faith heritage."

— Pope Francis, Message for the Reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, December 7, 2024