End of our journey

Today marks the end of our journey. We leave Luxembourg City in approximately one hour and will travel most of the day before we arrive at Dulles Airport late Thursday evening. Our trip has been an amazing blend of history, faith and the future. Our diverse group of travelers has grown together over the past 9 days in a unique and distinct way. (We are already discussing our first reunion!) Because of what this trip means to us individually and as a group, we look forward to sharing our experiences with all of you upon our return.

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Yesterday, we traveled to the last stop on our tour, Luxembourg City in the Grand Duche' of Luxembourg. As we approached the city limits, our group caught glimpses of the castles that surround the city and are currently occupied by the wealthy nobility of the area. The city is a unique treasure filled with architectural delights that date back to the 10th century, as well as new and modern post-WWII buildings. We saw the remains of a fortress built to protect the city from centuries of invaders. We also learned about the many monuments and churches which tell the history of this European crossroads city. It was in Luxembourg where General George Patton located his headquarters during part of WWII. General Patton is also buried in the United States Army Cemetery in Luxembourg (Mark Carl, Sue Carl '57 and Regina Holter Welsh '57 are shown standing in front of General Patton's grave). This landmark was an unforgettable stop on yesterday's tour. It reminded all of us of the price many young men and women paid during World War II to insure the freedom of other countries in Europe and the United States of America.

Namur, Belgium

Our day in Namur was fascinating. We enjoyed a tour of the city which included a journey to the city's famous Citadel. The group photo shown was taken from a spot at the Citadel that overlooks the old city of Namur. Like the other cities we visited, Namur was bombed during World War I and World War II. However, many of the original buildings, some dating back to the 13th century, survived the warfare and are architectural wonders to behold. James Bartlett '10 is shown resting during our morning adventure. In the afternoon, we visited St. Julie Billiart's chapel on the grounds of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Mother House. It was an extremely humbling experience to share time together in the chapel where Julie's remains rest.

Shopping in Namur was our next stop and we are looking forward to our evening dinner, where we will gather to share our thoughts and reflections from the day.

Amiens, France

Amiens was a delighful city to visit.
Our morning was spent touring the city and the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Amiens, the largest gothic cathedral in Europe. It was built in the 13th century and is a museum unto itself. The Cathedral is the burial ground of many archbishops of Amiens and houses plaques, statues and other religious relics of significance, including the head of John the Baptist.
We enjoyed a wonderful tour of the city and crepes by the river, before departing for Namur, Belgium. The photographs show the outside of the cathedral, and Sister Ann Julie and Sister Agnes Curran in front of a plaque inside the church commemorating St. Julie Billiart and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
Here is some history about Amiens and St. Julie Billiart.
In 1791, St. Julie Billiart fled from her pursuers in Paris to the city of Amiens. It was there where Julie met Francoise Blin de Bourdon, a Frenchwoman saved from the guillotine with the fall of Robespierre. In 1803, Julie and Francoise
pronounced three vows of religion to which they added a fourth: To Work For the Christian Education of Young Girls. Under the direction of Pere Varin and the auspices of the Bishop of Amiens, Julie and Francoise founded Julie's Institute and her vision was now a reality. Several years later, the Bishop of Amiens misunderstood the true nature and purpose of Julie's religious group and asked the
foundress to withdraw from the diocese. Fortunately for Julie,in 1809, Bishop Msgr. Pisani de la gaude of Namur, Belgium, invited Julie and the other sisters to relocate in Namur.<>

Photo Gallery

Here are some photos of our group that we hope you enjoy.

Cuvilly

Today, our journey took us to Cuvilly, France, the birthplace of St. Julie Billiart. Little did we know what a tremendously powerful impact the visit would have on all of us. We entered Cuvilly, a very small farming community of approximately 550 residents, in the morning and were warmly greeted by a resident, who also happened to be a relative of St. Julie. After guiding us to the Heritage Center, where St. Julie's birthplace is located, we were greeted by Sister Georgette and Sister Albertine. They provided our group with a wonderful tour of the home that was built on the original site of St. Julie's home, destroyed many years ago.
We spent several hours learning about the struggles St. Julie encountered as she tried to do the work of God. Sister Ann Julie, the Dean of Villa Julie College from 1955 through 1964, spoke of Julie's physical limitations and dangers she faced during the time of the French Revolution. Sister Agnes Curran, who joined Sister Ann Julie on this journey, spoke of how the order started by St. Julie over 200 years ago, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, continues to do the work of God all over the world.
After leaving the Heritage Center, we spent time in the Church of Saint Eloise, built in 1636 in the town of Cuvilly. Sister Ann Julie led us in a prayer in the Church's chapel, where St. Julie prayed each time she visited the church.
We were joined for lunch in Cuvilly by the town's Mayor, who thanked President Manning for the history book and Villa Julie College hat presented to him on behalf of the College.
As we left the small town where we spent a most memorable day, many of us reflected on how the faith of a young peasant woman named Julie Billiart, from this tiny community in the northern part of France, is the reason Villa Julie College exists today.

Versailles and Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris

Although the weather was cloudy and cool, our travel group was in high spirits as we toured Paris and Versailles. Our tour escort, Kim Riddell, has done a wonderful job sharing the history of Paris with us. We are standing in front of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris (left) and Versailles (right). (Kim is wearing an orange scarf in each photo.)