You are warmly invited
2025 Pilgrimage to the
Black Madonnas of Paris
Guided by Christena Cleveland
The white fathers told us: I think, therefore I am.
The Black Mother within each of us
-- The Poet -- whispers in our dreams:
I feel, therefore I can be free."
- Audre Lorde
Experience the Black Madonna’s profound power to heal and embolden us as we co-create a world in which Black, Indigenous and people of color, women, all non-binary people and all people are truly sacred and free.
Accompany Christena, author of God Is a Black Woman, as she deeply explores each of the four ancient Black Madonnas of Paris and the surrounding region – Our Lady of Good Deliverance (Paris), Our Lady of Peace (Paris), Our Lady of Miracles (Orléans), and Our Lady of the Underworld (Chartres). In this week-long transformational pilgrimage, Christena will guide you through the fundamental mind-body-spirit practices that will help you encounter yourself in the Black Madonna and participate in Her healing work.
Let’s journey together.
In addition to visits to four sacred Black Madonna sites, this pilgrimage will feature deepening teachings, embodied practices and community conversation. Throughout the week, Christena will:
- share exclusive stories from her walking pilgrimages in France.
- illuminate additional historical, theological and social science insights that supports us as we disentangle from white patriarchal religious conditioning and embrace the Sacred Black Feminine.
- introduce several embodied practices that usher in the fragrant liberation that each Black Madonna uniquely offers.
- facilitate community conversation in which pilgrims can learn from each other as we journey together.
Each day will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a holistic and embodied understanding of how the Black Madonna has always been right there, ready to accompany you, guide you, and empower you as you move toward liberation for yourself and for others.
What People Are Saying about the 2024 pilgrimage…
“I knew I would be awed and still this experience exceeded my imagination. I’m grateful to the Divine Mother for so much!!!”
“The pilgrimage was truly right on time. The affirmations and direction I received from Cosmic Mother have created clarity and provided comfort. The whole week was like a balm for my soul.”
“I really enjoyed the space made to understand the Black Madonna more and the brilliant, empathic way you allowed for us to bring our individual interpretations to the conversation.”
“This trip was everything I needed and an unexpected gift. Christena, continue your work; it is life changing and enhancing.”
Paris Pilgrimage 1: April 28 - May 4, 2025 (7 days, 6 nights)
Paris Pilgrimage 2: May 7 - 13, 2025 (7 days, 6 nights)
Package rates starting at $4600
The Pilgrimage Experience
6 nights at a charming 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of Paris
Private, round-trip transportation between Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) and hotel on Day 1 and Day 7
Private Welcome Dinner
Daily breakfast included
Intimate teaching and community gatherings facilitated by Christena Cleveland in which you’ll
Explore the interfaith history and meaning of the Black Madonna and why She urgently matters in our contemporary world
Discover how the Black Madonna can transform your beliefs about yourself and others
Turn inward to encounter the ways in which the Black Madonna is speaking directly to your unique pain and infusing it with healing and hope
Explore the ways that the Black Madonna fuels your sacred activism and emboldens you to speak truth to power.
Dive deep into this question: What does it mean to truly embrace my sacredness?
Curated visits to Our Lady of Good Deliverance (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) and Our Lady of Peace (Paris, France)
Curated day trip (lunch included) via private transportation to Our Lady of Miracles (Orléans, France)
Curated day trip (lunch included) via private transportation to visit Our Lady of the Underworld (Chartres, France)
Celebratory Farewell Dinner
*Itinerary subject to change
**Airfare is not included
***SPACE IS LIMITED** — Pilgrimage 1 is limited to 12 participants and Pilgrimage 2 is limited to 24 participants
A sacred and spacious schedule
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Day 1
Arrivals 7 am - 3 pm
Hotel Check-in 3 pm
Welcome gathering 5-7 pm
Welcome Dinner 7-10 pm
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Day 2
Rolling Breakfast 6-9 am
Deepening Teaching and Community Connection 9-11 am
Day trip to Orléans (lunch included) 11 am-7 pm
Free evening in Paris
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Day 3
Rolling Breakfast 6-9 am
Deepening Teaching and Community Connection 9-11 am
Visit to Our Lady of Peace 1-4 pm
Free afternoon/evening in Paris
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Day 4
Rolling Breakfast 6-9 am
Free day to rest, reflect, and explore.
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Day 5
Rolling Breakfast 6-9 am
Day trip to Chartres (lunch included) 9 am - 4 pm
Free afternoon/evening in Paris
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Day 6/7
Day 6
Rolling Breakfast 6-9 am
Deepening Teaching and Community Connection 9-11 am
Visit to Our Lady of Good Deliverance 2-5 pm
Closing gathering 5-7 pm
Farewell Dinner 7-10 pm
Day 7
Breakfast and Departures beginning at 6 am
Package Rates and Registration
We do offer a monthly payment plan which includes a $750 deposit at registration and subsequent equal monthly payments until April 1. Full and final payment is due on/before April 1, 2025.
Pilgrimage 1
A sacred journey for people of the African diaspora
April 28 - May 4, 2025
Limited to just 12 pilgrims
Shared room: $4600 per person
Solo room: $5400 per person
Pilgrimage 2
A sacred journey for people of all races
May 7-13, 2025
Limited to just 12 pilgrims
Shared room: $4600 per person
Solo room: $5400 per person
Our Pilgrimage Home
Set in twin low-rise buildings, on a quiet private road, our host hotel beckons peace and relaxation, close to yet sheltered from the buzzing hub of the Grands Boulevards.
Blissfully coordinated celadon green, raspberry, purple and turquoise set the tone, with moldings, ikat and bayadère motifs all completely attuned.
In every room, regardless of size, the mood is blithe and welcoming. And, needless to say, strikingly elegant. The furniture is delightfully sleek – a tribute to to the fine materials used and great attention to detail. Peace and quiet reign supreme here, softly and gently: the bedding has been specially selected to guarantee our guests proper rest and relaxation.
The bathrooms feature neo-retro Guimard earthenware tiles, and Vrai par Fragonard courtesy products, to experience the beauty of Paris in every sense of the word.
Registration and other pertinent information
ROOMMATE: We are happy to pair you with a roommate. Simply indicate your request on the registration form.
WHAT’S INCLUDED: Package rates are inclusive of accommodations, daily breakfast, meals during pilgrimage programming, excursions, welcome gift, 7-day Paris metro pass, and airport and ground transportation. Airfare is not included.
PAYMENT PLAN: $750 non-refundable deposit at registration with subsequent equal monthly payments until April 1. Full and final payment due on/before April 1, 2025.
ARRIVAL: You will arrive at and depart from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport. We suggest arriving before 12pm on Day 1 and departing after 10am on Day 7.
SCHEDULE: Though we plan to follow the schedule listed above, pilgrimages can be unpredictable. Please keep in mind that the schedule is subject to change.
SAFETY: We strive to curate the safest experience for our pilgrims. Should we need to reschedule our pilgrimage due to circumstances beyond our control, your payments will be applied to a future pilgrimage. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance so that you are covered if you’re unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control.
PHYSICAL PREP: Though this is not a walking pilgrimage per se, be prepared to walk approximately 10,000 steps and climb several sets of stairs each day.
MENTAL PREP: Paris is a major global city, which can be both fascinating and overstimulating. Additionally, we will be utilizing a mix of private and public transportation to navigate Paris and the small towns that we visit. We encourage you to mentally prepare for being in a non-English-speaking, complex, and devastatingly gorgeous city. Clothe yourself with a robust sense of humor and an adventurous spirit!
SPIRITUAL PREP: We encourage you to read God Is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland prior to the pilgrimage, so you can become acquainted with her Black feminist approach to the Black Madonna.
A Message From Christena
My whole world changed when I encountered the Black Madonna.
Though I presented a stoically-confident persona to the world, internally I struggled with deep insecurities about my worth, the validity of my embodied experience as a Black person and a woman, my body, my ability and more.
In 2016, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, I went searching for a spiritual icon that could relate to my experience as a Black person and a woman, and affirm that my body, life and story do in fact matter.
It didn't take long for me to encounter the Black Madonna and within seconds of viewing photos of Black Madonnas, my gut shifted from terror to hope.
Before I even read a word about the Black Madonna, my soul immediately recognized that these photos and drawings of ancient Black Madonnas declared a truth about my own sacredness and gave birth to a new understanding of God.
In late 2018, I embarked on a 400-mile walking pilgrimage across central France to visit 18 Black Madonnas in tiny mountain villages.
Each encounter with each Black Madonna healed a part of me -- from embracing my imperfection to loving my body to standing in my truth.
I detailed my transformational journey in my 2022 book God Is a Black Woman (HarperCollins).
Now, I'm excited to take others to the Black Madonnas I love because I know that you will love them too and be empowered by them!
FAQs
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Your pilgrimage package is considered confirmed at time of booking. Your $750 deposit is non-refundable under any circumstances due to upfront costs we must incur.
Minus your deposit, if you cancel more than 90 days before the pilgrimage, 25% of your payments will be forfeited. If you cancel more than 60 days before the pilgrimage, 50% of your trip fee will be forfeited.
If you cancel less than 60 days before the pilgrimage and/or once the pilgrimage has commenced, you will forfeit 100% of your trip fee.
Neither the pilgrimage guide, nor the hotel partner or vendors will be liable or responsible for a cancelled pilgrimage for circumstances beyond reasonable control, including acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, fire, mechanical breakdown, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, epidemic, pandemic, insurrection, war, riots, or failure of transportation, communication, or power supply.
Christena Cleveland in her sole discretion reserves the right to cancel a retreat for attendees’ safety, acts of God, government policies or any unforeseeable reason.
If the pilgrimage is canceled for such a reason, you will receive a credit for a future pilgrimage, valid for up to one year.
Due to the current climate, we strongly encourage pilgrims to purchase “Cancel For Any Reason” or “Cancel for Work” insurance.
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Travel insurance is not mandatory however we highly recommend you do purchase it, particularly during this climate and/or if you have a pre-existing condition. If you choose to do so, we suggest that you add “cancel for any reason” or “cancel for work reasons” to your policy.
Although normal trip cancellation will cover you for illness or injury, or for a travel companion’s illness, injury or death, it is limited to these.
With “cancel for any reason” you will receive a percentage (usually 75%-100%) of all pre-paid costs. With this coverage if something comes up, a wedding, a new job opportunity, virus outbreak etc. or if the organizers have to cancel due to weather, staff injury or illness or other unforeseen reasons, you will be covered.
*This option needs to be purchased within 15 days of your trip deposit.
We suggest visiting the below website for its easy user interface and comparison tool to choose the best insurance that suits your needs.
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If you would like to share a room, but need to be matched with another guest, (if the option is available) you can put your deposit in for the pilgrimage of your choice, and at check out select “YES to being matched with another solo traveler."
Once the pilgrimage team matches you, then they will connect you to your roommate prior to the pilgrimage so you can get to know each other.
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You are more than welcome to book your travel to arrive early and/or stay post pilgrimage.
If you choose to do so, you will be responsible for the cost of your room at the hotel for those additional days.
The pilgrimage team will do their best to work with the hotel to give you the same rate that the group will receive for the pilgrimage.
After you register, feel free to the pilgrimage team directly for more assistance.
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You should book as soon as you're able to because Pilgrimage 1 is limited to just 12 participants and Pilgrimage 2 is limited to just 24 participants.