November 1, as you know is the feast of All Saints. If November 1 falls on a weekday in the United States, Catholic Schools might take the specific day as a holiday. But, here in France, there is no school for an entire week! That includes the public schools! So, it is a big deal here.
It was a rainy day, but a couple of other sisters and I went to the Montparnasse Cemetery to visit the graves of the Daughters of Charity who are buried there, in particular, the grave of Sr. Rosalie Rendu who helped Frederic Ozanam organize the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She has her own grave site because many people – 100 years after her death – come to pray and ask her help with difficulties. There are always, always, always flowers at her grave and little plaques that say “thank you” for prayers that have been answered. (See photo below.) I have been to visit her grave four times and the flowers have been different every time. The other sisters are buried in a different tomb (the same one – it’s a biggie) and all their names are written on the tombstone. That does not mean that the grave gets dug up over and over again every time someone dies. There are shelves underneath the tombstone and the coffins are placed there. At a later date I will have to go there and see what it is actually like. I don’t know if you need an appointment or what, but I will find a way to go there.
For now, let’s just stick with what I did on November 1. The Montparnasse Cemetery is also a place where many famous people are buried, and it is, believe it or not, a tourist attraction. Many of the graves are very decorative and give some idea of what the person did in his/her lifetime. Some of these famous people include Frédéric Bartholdi (sculptor of the Statue of Liberty), Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute player), Jean-Paul Sartre (author and philosopher), and Guy de Maupassant (author). One grave that we passed was that of Charles Pigeon who invented the first gas lamp that did not explode. His grave marker (see photo below) shows himself and his wife in bed – ready to rest for all eternity – with gas lamps at the top of the bedposts. Everything looks green because it is copper. He has a book in his hand and his wife is wearing a night cap. They must have living relatives because there are fresh flowers. I thought it was kind of a neat thing to see.
Another photo below is of the tomb of the Adams Family! Of course, the family in the TV show spelled the name “Addams,” but I still thought it was funny.
As we arrived back at the Mother House, there was a procession of people carrying banners of saints. They were headed to Notre Dame cathedral where there was going to be a special prayer service later in the day. And, don’t you know it, there was a banner for St. Vincent de Paul! If you look closely at the picture below, the banner right behind St. Vincent is of St. Augustine. I don’t know WHICH St. Augustine it is, but I certainly stopped to say a prayer for the parish in Belleville where I loved being with the people for three years!
It was a rainy day, but a couple of other sisters and I went to the Montparnasse Cemetery to visit the graves of the Daughters of Charity who are buried there, in particular, the grave of Sr. Rosalie Rendu who helped Frederic Ozanam organize the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She has her own grave site because many people – 100 years after her death – come to pray and ask her help with difficulties. There are always, always, always flowers at her grave and little plaques that say “thank you” for prayers that have been answered. (See photo below.) I have been to visit her grave four times and the flowers have been different every time. The other sisters are buried in a different tomb (the same one – it’s a biggie) and all their names are written on the tombstone. That does not mean that the grave gets dug up over and over again every time someone dies. There are shelves underneath the tombstone and the coffins are placed there. At a later date I will have to go there and see what it is actually like. I don’t know if you need an appointment or what, but I will find a way to go there.
For now, let’s just stick with what I did on November 1. The Montparnasse Cemetery is also a place where many famous people are buried, and it is, believe it or not, a tourist attraction. Many of the graves are very decorative and give some idea of what the person did in his/her lifetime. Some of these famous people include Frédéric Bartholdi (sculptor of the Statue of Liberty), Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute player), Jean-Paul Sartre (author and philosopher), and Guy de Maupassant (author). One grave that we passed was that of Charles Pigeon who invented the first gas lamp that did not explode. His grave marker (see photo below) shows himself and his wife in bed – ready to rest for all eternity – with gas lamps at the top of the bedposts. Everything looks green because it is copper. He has a book in his hand and his wife is wearing a night cap. They must have living relatives because there are fresh flowers. I thought it was kind of a neat thing to see.
Another photo below is of the tomb of the Adams Family! Of course, the family in the TV show spelled the name “Addams,” but I still thought it was funny.
As we arrived back at the Mother House, there was a procession of people carrying banners of saints. They were headed to Notre Dame cathedral where there was going to be a special prayer service later in the day. And, don’t you know it, there was a banner for St. Vincent de Paul! If you look closely at the picture below, the banner right behind St. Vincent is of St. Augustine. I don’t know WHICH St. Augustine it is, but I certainly stopped to say a prayer for the parish in Belleville where I loved being with the people for three years!
Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them. Part 2 coming soon
