Reimagining Pilgrimage with Lauren Artress, Lars Howlett & Phil Cousineau

Back by popular demand, Veriditas re-visits our June 2023 program on the Art of Pilgrimage. Lauren Artress will introduce the series and share how her first pilgrimage to Chartres inspired her to return with thousands of others over the past thirty years. In session two, Lars Howlett will facilitate a 'virtual pilgrimage' to Chartres Cathedral including a candlelit video procession through the crypt and handheld labyrinth journey. In our final week, Phil Cousineau will discuss his perspective on the future of pilgrimage and offer a Q&A for all participants. 

Join us for three sessions on consecutive Tuesday evenings: May 7, 14 and 21 from 5 - 6:30 PM Pacific (or watch the recordings at your own time and pace) ending with optional small group discussions. If you sign up for the full virtual experience, you'll also gain access to over ten hours of video recordings from our 2023 Direct from Chartres* experience to watch at your own time and pace, including Phil Cousineau's morning program, guided meditations from the road by Lars Howlett, and a conversation with Lauren Artress plus Chartres village vignettes. 

• May 7: Lauren Artress describes her journey leading the Veriditas Pilgrimages to Chartres and the cathedral's marking 1,000 years as a pilgrimage destination
• May 14: Lars Howlett leads us on a virtual walk through the crypt of Chartres Cathedral and a handheld finger labyrinth walk.
• May 21: Phil Cousineau answers your questions about The Art of Pilgrimage

If you are unable to attend the three sessions live, the recordings will be available for one month following each Zoom meeting. Questions? Email Lars@Veriditas.org 

*Direct from Chartres: The Art of Pilgrimage with Phil Cousineau

For at least 60,000 years people from around the world, in every age and culture, have dealt with personal or historical crises by setting off on pilgrimages—spiritually transformative journeys to sacred sites—in order to revitalize and reorient themselves. Our time is marked by a series of such crises, including a crisis of meaning, and the precipitous rise in pilgrimages in every faith reflects an ardent search for meaning— personal answers to ultimate questions—in modern times. 

The ultimate goal of our time together will be to learn a few simple but poetic daily practices that have the power to transform virtually any kind of travel into a sacred journey. In this way, as the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh suggested, we might recognize our own backyard as sacred ground.