Camino Photo of the Day: Walking into the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy de Conques

I stepped into the abbey church of Sainte-Foy, still wearing my pack. After the quick morning pace and that last steep descent, my legs felt like rubber. Nevertheless, when I stepped into the church, with monks preparing the church for Mass and people already starting to gather¹, all of the aches and fatigue faded into nothing. Here’s what I later wrote in my journal about the experience:

As for the abbey itself, what can I say? After Le Puy, this was the first major object of my pilgrimage, and I have grown to love Sainte-Foy. The church building exceeds all expectations …. The building itself is beautiful, serene, and seems to exude the ancient majesty of Christ and His Church from every pore. I could spend a lifetime here.

Date: 27 August 2023
Place: Conques, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France

Maps!

1. I deliberately moved into the church to take this photo. I positioned myself to not include all the folks milling about in the back and side aisles.