Contact Information
1404 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 696-6525
(800) 869-6525
Contact Information
1404 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 696-6525
(800) 869-6525
October 21, 2026
A group of 84 pilgrims from the Diocese of Cleveland is visiting France with Bishop Edward Malesic. The 11-day trip began Oct. 11 as they traveled from Cleveland to Toulouse, France, arriving on Oct. 12.
Regular updates about the pilgrimage with photos provided by Deacon Dennis Conrad and Mark Bobal will be shared online and on social media.
The last day of the 11-day pilgrimage to France focused on additional sites in the Paris area.
The 84 pilgrims visited the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The chapel contains the remains of St. Catherine Laboure, who received the Miraculous Medal. The remains of St. Louise de Marillac, co-founder of the Daughters of Charity along with St. Vincent de Paul, are also located here, as well as a relic of the heart of St. Vincent de Paul.
Nearby, the group visited the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel, which houses the saint’s remains in a silver reliquary that is located above the main altar. It also contains a small museum along with several artifacts of St. Vicent, St. Louise and St. Catherine.
After Mass in the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, there was time for lunch and an afternoon of leisure. The church, which is of interest to those involved with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and its ministries, also has the relics of St. Louis de Marillac.
The pilgrimage concluded with a dinner cruise on the Seine River.
After that, the pilgrims returned to the hotel for rest and to prepare for an early morning departure as they head home.
Altar in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
Bishop Malesic prays before the relic of the heart of St. Vincent de Paul.
Mass in the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul beneath his mortal remains.
As the pilgrimage nears an end, the travelers found themselves in Paris for a day of exploration.
After breakfast at the hotel, they visited the picturesque district of Montmartre, an oasis in the heart of the big city that kept its bohemian spirit. The mountaintop is dominated by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur).
Bishop Edward Malesic and the clergy celebrated Mass at noon at the Basilica of Sacre Coeur Crypt, before the pilgrims enjoyed lunch on their own.
A visit to the newly restored and recently reopened Notre Dame Cathedral followed lunch. Construction on the cathedral began in 1163 and took nearly 200 years to complete (in 1345). The majestic cathedral dominates the Seine River and the Ile-de-la-Cite, as well as the history of Paris.
King Henry VI of England was crowned King of France in Notre Dame and in 1944, the Te Deum Mass took place there to celebrate the liberation of Paris during World War II.
The tour guide provided information to the group before they entered the cathedral so they could tour individually and have time for personal prayer before leaving.
On the way back to the hotel, the pilgrims enjoyed a panoramic driving tour by the Luxembourg Gardens, Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, before continuing on to view the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Concord Square and the Madeleine Church.
Dinner was at a local restaurant.
Bishop Malesic in the Notre Dame Cathedral
Relic of the Crown of Thorns in Notre Dame Cathedral
The ninth day of the pilgrimage was jam-packed with events.
After checking out of the hotel in Trouville, the pilgrims traveled to Lisieux by motor coach so they could immerse themselves in the life of St. Therese.
First, they visited the Carmelite convent chapel where she lived and prayed. They saw a reliquary of St. Therese and explored the small museum at the convent.
Then they went to the basilica to visit the reliquary of her parents, St. Louis Martin and St. Zelie Guerin Martin. On Oct. 18, 2015, they were the first married couple to be canonized together by Pope Francis. They also were able to see the statue of the Blessed Virgin that smiled at St. Therese.
Bishop Malesic and the clergy celebrated Mass at the basilica for the pilgrims before lunch.
The group then departed for Paris, with a stop at Chateau du Bruil for Calvados tasting (the famous apple brandy of the Normandy region).
After arriving in Paris, they checked into the hotel and had an opportunity to explore the local restaurant scene.
After an early breakfast at the hotel, the 84 pilgrims and Bishop Malesic traveled to Mont Saint-Michel, a major place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. It was named after the 8thcentury bishop of Avranches who saw St. Michael the Archangel three times in his dreams on this site.
In 966, the Benedictines built a magnificent abbey at the site, which the pilgrims were able to tour. A local Benedictine community has overseen religious activities there since 1969.
The bishop and other clergy celebrated Mass in the afternoon at St. Pierre Church before the group returned to the hotel in Trouville for dinner.
The seventh day of the diocesan pilgrimage led by Bishop Edward Malesic began with Mass offered in Our Lady of Victories Church, which is within walking distance of the group’s hotel.
After Mass and looking around the church, the pilgrims traveled to the beaches of Normandy, the largest amphibious and airborne landing operation in history.
During the night of June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 soldiers from about 15 countries landed here. It was the beginning of three months of fighting that led to the liberation of Normandy and, subsequently, Paris.
The pilgrims visited the American cemetery at Normandy, situated above Omaha Beach. There are 9,389 graves of American service members in the cemetery. The group spent time in remembrance and prayer before visiting Omaha Beach (St. Laurent Su Mer), one of the five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of Operation Overlord on D-Day.
Then they continued on to Port-du-Hoc, set among the Normandy WWII beaches. Situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea between Utah and Omaha Beaches, it is where the U.S. Army Ranger Assault Group came ashore during the Battle of Normandy on D-Day. The Allies won a decisive foothold in Europe as a result of the battle, paving the way to victory.
There are gentle dunes and quiet beaches there today, a stark contrast to the horror of the battle that cost 100,000 soldiers’ lives and reduced almost 600 villages to rubble.
The diocesan pilgrimage to France with 84 pilgrims led by Bishop Edward Malesic traveled from Lourdes to Paris by high-speed bullet train on Oct. 15.
After arriving in Paris, the group boarded a motor coach for the town of Trouville in Normandy, where they will stay for three days.
They had dinner at the hotel and rested before visiting the sites in Normandy, a historic location from the World War II D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.
Some of the pilgrims also prayed the Stations of the Cross in the Pyrenees, led by Father Dan Schlegel.Â
Bishop Malesic leads prayer for the meal in Normandy.
As the pilgrimage to France, led by Bishop Edward Malesic continues, the 84 pilgrims attended a Mass celebrated by Bishop Malesic and Father Dan Schlegel, assisted by Deacon Dennis Conrad and Deacon Dick Beercheck, at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
They spent a day walking in Lourdes walking in the footsteps of St. Bernadette, visiting the Boly Mill (“the mill of happiness” as she referred to it) – the historic waterfall and the place where she was born and lived for a decade with her family, Le Cachot – the small, dark 16-square-meter former prison room (dungeon) where St. Bernadette and her impoverished family lived when she experienced her Marian apparitions in 1858, and the parish church containing baptismal font where she was baptized.
Then there was time for private devotions and lunch.
Afterward, the group was invited to participate in the procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the blessing of the sick.
The group enjoyed dinner at the hotel and that night, the pilgrims once again had the option of attending the torchlight procession.
Pilgrims prayed the Stations of the Cross in Lourdes.
Many visitors to Lourdes, France say the nightly torchlight procession is one of the most memorable parts of their visit. Typically, large crowds gather for the event.
The 84 pilgrims from the Diocese of Cleveland who are visiting Lourdes with Bishop Edward Malesic agreed as they joined the torchlight procession on Oct. 14. The procession began at 9 p.m. with hundreds of pilgrims walking by candlelight behind a lighted statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as they sang and prayed. The procession takes place each night from April through November.
On Oct. 14, Bishop Malesic could be seen mingling and walking with the faithful during the procession.
Pilgrims assembled at the Grotto of Massabielle within the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes where they lit their candles and prepared for the procession. As night fell, they began processing along the Esplanade praying the rosary in different languages and singing “Ave Maria of Lourdes.”
The procession ended opposite the Basilica of the Rosary.
A pilgrim lights Bishop Malesic's candle during the procession.
Diocesan pilgrims walking in procession with near the Basilica of the Rosary in Lourdes.
Oct. 14, the fourth day of the 11-day diocesan pilgrimage to France, was a busy one as the 84 pilgrims, led by Bishop Edward Malesic, spent the entire day in Lourdes.
They started the day with an English Mass celebrated by Bishop Malesic and other clergy in the Grotto of the Apparitions. After Mass, they were able to tour the sanctuary, grotto and upper basilica.
Then after lunch, the pilgrims spent an hour in the St. Joseph Chapel at a private water gesture ceremony, washing their hands in water from the Lourdes spring.
Two deacons on the pilgrimage – Dick Beercheck and Dennis Conrad – assisted Bishop Malesic and Father Dan Schlegel at the ceremony.
That evening, the group was invited to participate in the procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the blessing of the sick.
Pilgrims participate in a ritual at the Lourdes as their hands are washed with water from the shrine.
During their first day in France – Oct. 12 – the pilgrims checked into their hotel in Toulouse, enjoyed dinner and met with the guide who will accompany them throughout the trip.
The first full day of the pilgrimage – Oct. 13 – was spent exploring Toulouse. Included were a walking tour of the city and a visit to the Old Quarter. That morning, the bishop celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, located on the site of the previous basilica dating to the 4th century. The remains of St. Saturnin (also known as Sernin), the first bishop of Toulouse, are located in the basilica.
The group walked to the Church of Jacobins, where they viewed the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas. Then they traveled to Lourdes, where they enjoyed a reception at their hotel.
Bishop Malesic standing outside the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
Bishop Malesic celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
