Author: Thom

This statue of Saint James may be found in the Basilica of the Holy Saviour in Rocamadour. It’s obviously quite modern, but dignified and solemn. He has the hat, shell, and staff of a pilgrim, but as befits an apostle, he carries a book (presumably the scriptures) and wears what I think is a somewhat odd take on a chasuble. […]

I mentioned yesterday that the organ in the Basilica of the Holy Saviour in Rocamadour is shaped like a ship. Well, here it is. You can see the wooden hull under the pipes, and the designs in the frame are meant to suggest sails. I can almost see it if I squint. You can also see that the back wall […]

The Basilica of the Holy Saviour in Rocamadour is an odd structure, crammed into an oddly-shaped space and clinging to the cliffside. Massive pillars everywhere interrupt the sight lines. The gigantic organ is shaped like a ship, and the quasi-Romanesque sanctuary features a modern stained-glass window depicting the Good Shepherd. And for all its oddities, you can feel the sense […]

All throughout the chapel of Notre Dame de Rocamadour, you find votive offerings in the form of ships, like this one hanging from the ceiling. Even though this place is hundreds of miles from the sea, there are numerous stories of maritime miracles attributed to Notre Dame de Rocamadour. So many, in fact, that the devotion of French sailors to […]

As I sat praying in the chapel of Notre Dame de Rocamadour, my rosary was interrupted by a Mass. It was absolutely beautiful, led by a young priest and a single server, along with a lector and a two-person choir with lovely voices. I understood barely a word – not even the readings, as it was a votive Mass, and I […]

The highlight of Rocamadour – even greater than the Basilica church next door – is undoubtedly the chapel of Notre Dame de Rocamadour. For nearly a thousand years, pilgrims from all over the world have come to meet the Black Madonna with closed eyes, holding the infant Jesus on her lap. This 15th-century Gothic chapel is built right into the […]

The little chapel of Saint Blaise in the Sanctuary district of Rocamadour also contains an altar to the Divine Mercy. I was particularly struck by the play of sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, and how it illuminated the image of Jesus. Date: 01 September 2023 Place: Rocamadour, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! The site I’ve been […]

The town of Rocamadour is carved out of the great limestone cliffs overlooking the Alzou valley. And where there’s limestone, there’s fossils! You can see them most clearly in the many steep staircases, carved out of the living rock. It’s utterly delightful, particularly these shells which, if you squint, resemble those of Saint James. Date: 01 September 2023 Place: Rocamadour, […]