It is the second day of the Gypsy Pilgrimage, and it feels much quieter. We learn that many of the Gypsies are leaving as their Saint’s Day was yesterday. Presumably many of them arrived a day or two before us, and have already enjoyed some celebration days with friends and family. Indeed, we see a [...]

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At 3:00 p.m. we are in the crush of a huge crowd that is gathering outside the entry of the church. We start out with good spots for viewing the Procession, just one row back, but we are elbowed out by a big, tall Italian tourist who keeps thrusting his arm and camera in front [...]

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We are staying at a charming hotel, just a few kilometers outside of the village. My good instincts told me that we would most likely want to be located at arm’s length from the activities in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Although I selected this hotel from the internet, I am very pleased with my choice as I was [...]

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It is the night before the ceremonies of the Gypsy Pilgrimage begin. We take a short drive into town in the late afternoon, hoping to visit the church before it is closed for the evening. There are so many cars parked along the beach road that we have to walk quite a distance, but we [...]

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I missed my post last week because I was at the Gypsy Pilgrimage without internet service! Here is the schedule of events that took place during the three day celebration:
May 24th
10:00 a.m  Mass to celebrate the opening of the Pilgrimage
3:30 p.m.  Ceremony of lowering the reliquaries
4:00 p.m  Procession of Saint Sara
8:30 p.m.  Prayers
May 25th
8:00 a.m.  [...]

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