Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and Ars Pilgrimage

Wigratzbad Seminary and the French District of the FSSP organized on the 12th and 13th of September, a pilgrimage to Ars to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Death of St Jean-Marie Vianney.

It was a good opportunity, during this Year of the Priest, to pray to the holy patron of all priests for their sanctification and the increase of priestly vocations.

On Saturday, Mgr Nicolas Brouwet, auxiliary bishop of Nanterre in the suburb of Paris, the youngest French bishop, celebrated the Low Mass of a bishop in the usus antiquior at the main altar which is dominated by the incorrupt body of the Curé d'Ars. In the afternoon he gave an outstanding conference to the French speaking seminarians.



Then he presided over Vespers and Compline in the lower basilica, before a night of adoration.



On the day after, Sunday, a 15 kilometer pilgrimage started from the church of Trevoux and followed a beautiful way along the river Saône.



A Solemn Mass in Ars, at 16:00, concluded the pilgrimage.







A congregation of 1000 people attended this ceremony. The Reverend Father John Berg, Superior General of the FSSP was the celebrant, and was assisted by a Scottish deacon and an American subdeacon.