Chartres, France

On May 21, 2010, I began my pilgrimage in Chartres, France, through an week-long intensive workshop titled “Living an Authentic Life: Walking the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice” with renowned author and labyrinth facilitator, Dr. Lauren Artress.

Numerous cathedrals in Europe have prayer labyrinths embedded into their floors. The most famous of these remaining labyrinths is at the Cathedral of Chartres (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres) about 50 miles from Paris, France. Chartres Cathedral is located in the medieval town of Chartres. The labyrinth at Chartres was built around 1200 and is also the only one of the larger medieval labyrinths still existing. Sometimes this eleven-circuit labyrinth would serve as a substitute for an actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and as a result came to be called the “Chemin de Jerusalem” or Road of Jerusalem. The Chartres labyrinth is an eleven-circuit labyrinth, which symbolizes Christ’s cross with its four quadrants, and grace being symbolized by the never-ending path to the center and back, allowing the pilgrim to walk the path at his own pace, stop for prayer and meditation as needed.

Not only is Chartres Cathedral one of the greatest achievements in the history of architecture, it is almost perfectly preserved in its original design and details. Chartres’ extensive cycle of portal sculpture remains fully intact and its glowing stained-glass windows are all originals. Chartres is thus the only cathedral that conveys an almost perfect image of how it looked when it was built. According to tradition, Chartres Cathedral has housed the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the (Sancta Camisia) since 876. The relic was said to have been given to the cathedral by Charlemagne, who received it as a gift during a trip to Jerusalem. Because of this relic, Chartres has been a very important pilgrimage center and people still come from the world over to honor it.

During my week stay in Chartres, there is a very interesting light show every evening during this summer in which the statues on the front of the cathedral are lighted very precisely, so that they are polychrome, as they were originally, with skin tones and eye color and clothes of many colors.

About Labyrinths

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The labyrinth represents a journey to one’s own center and back again out into the world. It is a metaphor for life’s journey.

Labyrinths were adopted by the Church across Europe during the medieval times as a means used to meditate, pray and connect with God in a higher spiritual way. During the crusades, they were used to symbolically represent the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Today, labyrinths are being used for reflection, meditation, prayer and comfort. They are found in many sizes and shapes, and are created from various materials.

“Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path… exactly where you are meant to be right now… And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love.”
Caroline Adams

Join me in my walk...

Join me in my journey of walking the labyrinth.


I will be traveling and researching medieval labyrinths in Chartres, Orleans, Guingamp, Bayeux, Amiens, and Saint Quentin, France. I will continue my research by studying the origin, uses and construction of medieval labyrinths.  There are only a handful of Medieval Labyrinths remaining in place. Located on the old pilgrimage roads (look for St. James of Compostela shell signs), each site is home to at least one Black Madonna, and all are dedicated to Mary, except the modern replica in Orléans.


I will attend workshops and further my exploration of labyrinths in New Harmonie, Indiana. I will interview Brother Barry Donahue at St. Mary of the Woods in Terre Haute, Indiana. I will then continue my research and journey in California with a qualified labyrinth builder, Robert Ferre. I will endeavor in designing classroom activities using the labyrinth by constructing a 7-circuit canvas labyrinth.

Pilgrims are people in motion–passing through territories not our own—seeking something we might call completion, or perhaps the word clarity will do just as well; a goal to which only the spirit’s compass points the way.
Richard Niebuhr