Montauban church of Institute of Christ the King. Photo courtesy of Szeder László (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons”
O Catholic France, the inspiration for so very much which lies behind this website dedicated to his Sacred Heart …
The series is, naturally, best appreciated by starting at the beginning(here).
Here I am reflecting on my stay in Montauban, where I was blessed by the traditional Latin Mass as celebrated by the Institute of Christ the King and haunted by old, Catholic France.
From 2010:
More fragments from a soul in France:
This church in Montauban in France.
So filled with the Presence, so still … so still.
Calling me into silence. Effortlessly.
The Presence here, deep, rich.
Non-secular. Bathes me.
The Secular world outside this Church stimulates, stimulates, stimulates.
It seeks to stimulate desire. Capitalist desire. Erotic desire. Even desire for blood and violence.
That HORRIBLE computer game, I saw once …

Notre Dame amongst the glories of Catholic France
This Church is filled with Nineteenth Century France.
The Presence in this Church.
It was not fostered by zany, happy-clappy congregations.
It was not fostered by liturgical abuse.
It was fostered with true prayer and reverence for Tradition.
This Presence, this Presence!
How very much I owe to the silent Presence in the churches.
How deep is my debt.
My debt. Our debt.
In rural France away from the cities, the village churches are closed nearly everywhere. Except on Sunday. Once a month.
If you’re lucky …
France, O France – you have the singular, if dubious “honour” of showing where the Church is headed in the future.
Unless something is DONE.
To Be Continued …
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Next Installment: A Cryptic Traditional Catholic Travelogue 7
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