An exhibition titled “Pilgrims of Hope” was inaugurated on May 8, 2024 at Mont Saint-Michel. Mgr Grégoire Cador, bishop of Coutances, don Pierre Doat, rector of the Mont Saint-Michel Shrine, don Paul Denizot, rector of the Montligeon Shrine, and some members of the Fraternités monastiques de Jérusalem were present. The panels are set up in the forecourt of Jerusalem for the next twelve months. Don Pierre Doat introduces the exhibition.
Why have an exhibition at Mont saint Michel?
“The idea stemmed from a simple observation: the first pilgrims to the Mont-Saint-Michel used to come to pray for their dead. Indeed, one of St. Michael’s missions is to care for the deceased after their death.
That’s why, along with the Association Robert de Torigni who organizes festivals on Jérusalem’s Square, we decided to call on the Montligeon Shrine. Interestingly, the first place of prayer for the dead recorded in history in Western Europe was Mont Saint-Michel.
Saint-Pierre Church on Mont-Saint-Michel.
Saint Michael helps the souls by guiding them
Saint Michael is said to be a ‘psychopomp’ and a ‘psychostasis’ angel. He is traditionally seen as a guide for souls in the afterlife. This exhibition also explores this aspect of our journey into the afterlife. It addresses questions about hell, purgatory and paradise.
In a way we don’t quite understand, Saint Michael participates in our encounter with God at the moment of our death, by revealing what we have achieved, both good and bad. This is why Saint Michael is often shown carrying a pair of scales. Today still many pilgrims come to pray for their deceased and to find help in their spiritual struggle.
Hope at heart
“Both Montligeon and Mont Saint-Michel share very strong faiths. They bring a message of hope into the world, enabling us to turn our hearts towards heaven.
These two Norman shrines carry similar messages. The first one relates to the invisible world, which here is the world of angels. At Montligeon, the communion of saints, which is a communion with the dead, is asserted. The second one is a message we share with a number of shrines: there is hope despite life’s struggles. The archangel who fights evil here combined to the message of Christian hope at Montligeon is an unprecedented gift in the face of death.
The Montligeon exhibition at Mont Saint-Michel
- 24 panels on the topic of afterlife and death, along with personal accounts
- 3 languages available: French, English, Spanish.
- Until May 2025 on Jerusalem Square (on the way up to the abbey church, past the parish church)
The Association
Robert de Torigni
Robert de Torigni was a father abbot of the abbey who left his mark on the 12th century. His contribution as a spiritual leader of his time is significant. To honor his legacy, the Association was created in 2009, the year the Mont’s 1,300th anniversary was celebrated.
Bearing witness on Jerusalem’s Square
It is with great joy that we share our faith here, on what used to be called ‘Jerusalem’s Garden of the Cross’, now Jerusalem’s Square. This meeting place is dedicated to bearing witness. Permanent exhibitions are hosted there throughout the year, as well as artists who come to share their art and faith. This is a great mission, aimed at the whole world.”
