Our priest, the Rev. Susan Gage and her wife, Isabelle, went to France this spring to see Isabelle’s mother. They ended up seeing a whole lot more! On Sunday, Isabelle and Rev. Susan shared photos and stories of their experiences visiting several of the cities and villages in the Southwest of France near the French Pyrenees mountains. Isabelle grew up in the tiny village of Haut de Gan, which is about 50km from St. Jean Pied-de-Port, one of the points of origins for pilgrims walking the St. Jean de Compastalle.
They visited several churches, many of which were the central attractions in the places they went. The styles varied from extremely ornate Gothic to Romanesque.
Isabelle also shared stories of the history of the region. And while World War I is memoralized in some way in every city square, the history of World War II, and the way so many looked the other way as Nazis brutalized and killed Jews, is a stain on the country. Such history reminds us that we must be careful as we are always in danger of falling into indifference in the face of evil. It was a fascinating and educating presentation.