SW News: While pilgrimages to famous Catholic sanctuaries are a common affair, the pilgrimage undertaken by two young French women is a tad different. Jeanne Elisabeth and Estelle have embarked on a 2,000-km mendicant journey on foot to the famous Marian sanctuary of Our Lady of Pontmain. With only a backpack, containing their clothes, essentials and Miraculous Medals, and a statue of Our Lady, the two friends literally beg for food and a place to rest at night as they cover the long trail through Brittany in France.

The objective of the two friends is to bear witness to the Catholic faith and share it with people from various backgrounds whom they meet. And for that, they carry with them a statue of the Pilgrim Virgin. They describe their walk as “with Mary and towards Mary.” Braving rain and ice-cold winds, Jeanne, who is 22, and Estelle, who is three years senior to her, began their long pilgrimage on September 11 from Mont Saint-Michel, the famous sanctuary dedicated to the Archangel Michael. They expect to arrive in Pontmain in December. As they travel during the day, they pray ceaselessly and share the faith with people they meet on the road.

Jeanne, who is a teacher and Estelle, a student of business studies, decided to take a one-year sabbatical and embark on a pilgrimage after several months of discernment. While speaking to a French Catholic magazine Famille Chretienne, Estelle said, “We must first take time for God and step back in our lives. Walking allows us to live in prayer and contemplation.” “This time of prayer and silence is so precious,” said Jeanne.

Without a penny in their pocket, they trust in providence for food and shelter. They ask people for food and a place to sleep. The duo clocks 22 kilometers a day braving the elements, especially the rain. “We are not only begging for our subsistence, but also for a place to sleep. We have incredible discussions with people who often share their worries and tribulations with us,” they said. In return for the food and shelter they receive Jeanne and Estelle give the kind Samaritans Miraculous Medals.

Although they have found food and shelter on all days so far, they have faced several setbacks. One evening, almost 15 people whom they approached refused to give them food or shelter. Sometimes, they are treated with suspicion. But that does not deter the two friends from praying for all the people they meet so that the love of God transforms them.

They hope to reach Pontmain in mid-December and during the last lap of their pilgrimage, they will be joined by their friends who will also walk with them to the Marian Sanctuary.

Pontmain is the site of a Marian apparition in the late 1800s during the Franco-Prussian war. By the 1870s, almost the entire France was under the boots of Prussia. As the Prussian army continued its conquest in Normandy region, the villagers of Pontmain, who were already affected by pandemics, sought heavenly intercession so that the army spares them.

The villagers’ fears intensified as they saw an Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights in the sky on January 11, 1871, as the Prussian army was advancing. They gave up hope on January 17 when there was a mild tremor at noon. That night four children of the village saw an apparition of the Blessed Virgin above a barn. They described her as a beautiful lady in a dark blue dress covered with stars. She wore a veil that was black and She had a golden crown. On a white banner appeared a message that God had heard the prayers of the people of Pontmain and He would answer their needs. The vision lasted three hours. Eleven days later, the Prussian troops retreated mysteriously and a truce was signed between both nations. Thus ended the plight of France.