Les Fontanelles – A walking pilgrimage to Einsiedeln

This is the narration of Sister Elisabeth of Sancey: « A month before leaving on our pilgrimage, I went to train with Sister Rose Marie at Les Fontenelles.

Several times, she told me to ‘walk with awareness’: we have to live our walk, be aware of the movement of our body and feel our feet on the ground, without forgetting to look at our surroundings and listen to the sounds of nature.

I’ve come to understand that walking with awareness means paying attention to yourself and to what’s going on around you, living in the present moment and giving your walk a purpose. So I often had this intention: ‘My Lord and my God, help me to forgive, even if the events I’ve experienced seem unjust!

As she walked, I thought that she had walked alone, in the darkness of faith, thinking about her future and asking God for help. Yes, Jeanne Antide’s example gave me the energy to continue the journey to Einsiedeln. I arrived on foot where she arrived on foot, to pray and reflect for several days before the Black Madonna in order to see her vocation more clearly.

Eight of us set off on 15 September: a priest, three ladies, two gentlemen, Sister Rose Marie and myself. At 8am, we took a photo in front of the statue of Father Antoine Receveur, who had also walked to Einsiedeln several times. We set off in the direction of La Chaux de Fonds. After a 7km walk (about 2 hours), we stopped at Nobis (a hidden place for celebrations during the French Revolution), where we prayed. The first day went well: 27 km and 880 m ascent. My feet could take it, but my rucksack was a bit too heavy…

The second day was the longest in terms of kilometres and altitude difference. At Enges, in Switzerland, we would have liked to have been able to enter the chapel, but it was closed. The warm welcome we received from the Sisters in Cressier was a great comfort. The next morning, we took part in the Eucharist at 7 a.m. and after breakfast, we set off in silence through the vineyards. As we passed through Le Landeron, I thought of Jeanne Antide, who had passed through there. Then we drove along Lake Biel, which was shrouded in fog!

On the 3rd day, we covered slightly fewer kilometres and climbed slightly less… We were welcomed in a B&B, so we were able to rest! The same applied on days 4 and 5. In Sursee, the accommodation was more basic at the campsite! But we were on a pilgrimage!

I was made to feel very welcome in the group, whose members knew little or nothing about each other! The journey allowed us to get to know each other. I found the atmosphere fraternal and caring. On the second day, my feet were plagued by blisters and heels.

Fortunately, there are ‘compeed’ bandages. Sister Rose Marie had a stock of them! In the days that followed, I discovered that some walkers also had to look after their feet! I wasn’t the only one… and my bag was too heavy.

On the 8th day of the walk, after the last climb, we caught sight of the abbey. This dream, impossible for me, had come true! What a joy, it was 6pm! I took some time to pray before the Black Madonna. The Virgin, with her golden dress, her jewels and her smile, is very beautiful. She welcomes us and reflects her light back to us! I contemplated her a lot on my knees and in silence!

Walking 230 km in 8 days was a real pilgrimage for me. I discovered that I was capable of walking more than 40,000 steps a day with a rucksack weighing around 10 kg, and doing it all again the next day!

The silence allowed me to be attentive to the people accompanying me and to the very diverse landscapes, to give thanks for the life that is mine and also for the chance to live this experience that I had never thought of. I admired the beautiful, well-maintained Catholic and Reformed churches with their doors open, where we stopped to pray.