A-stone-inishing Facts
- Details
- Written by Fr. Maurice Tochon, M.S.
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| Fr. Maurice Tochon, M.S., welcomes pilgrims |
Editor: Fr. Maurice Tochon, M.S. has worked at the La Salette Shrine in France for many years. During this time he has explored the geological history of the mountains surrounding the Shrine. His studies and learning, with the assistance of some professional geologists, have been well utilized in a weekly display and workshop, explaining the geological background of the site and the materials used in the building of the Basilica on the remote mountaintop where Mary appeared. Here he describes an imaginary meeting with a curious pilgrim on one of his Wednesday workshops.
Pilgrim: “What? ...learning about geology at the La Salette Shrine? People come to the Shrine in France to pray – not to learn about stones and rocks!”
Fr. Tochon: “And what was the Basilica – where you pray – built with?”
Pilgrim: “It's true! It is stone, not concrete ... Its age?”
Fr. Tochon: “Some of the stones used are anywhere from 150 years old to 25 million years. Some may even be over 200 million years old!”
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| Pilgrims peruse a geological and biological timeline |
Pilgrim: “Really! What do you mean?”
Fr. Tochon: “This Basilica was built between 150-160 years ago, but the stones that form it first appeared in the formation of the Alps some 30 million years ago. In fact, the mud that gave the Blue Stone its color arose from the ocean more than 200 million years ago. Look carefully. You can even find marine fossils in those very columns. So, you see, even the fossils hear your prayers and your singing. Aren’t they fortunate!”
Pilgrim: “So where do all these stones come from?
Fr. Tochon: "Between 1852 and 1865, the Italian stone carvers, brought here to help build our Basilica, established their workshop near Mount Gargas. Among the six kinds of rocks available to them, they chose the most sturdy – the one that could be fashioned more easily into the building-blocks of the new basilica. The basilica was built over the strongest of the local rock formations. They were oriented north to south; that is why the basilica is oriented that way; there really was no other choice.
Pilgrim: “Then why is the Shrine’s hotel made of concrete?”
Fr. Tochon: “Yes, that’s true but only part of it. For the rest of the building, the builders had to carve out part of Mount Planeau to the west, behind the Basilica. That was very hard to do. The blue and black limestone of that mountain were formed by monstrous pressure.”
Pilgrim: “But how do you know this?”
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| The rock, used in the interior of the Basilica, takesits blue color from its calcite content |
Fr. Tochon: “I found this out through my geological studies! In fact, years ago some pilgrims asked me to tell them more about the place where the Beautiful Lady chose to appear. When I first began my search for more information, some professional geologists offered to work, analyze, and finally help me to understand many facts about this area. And that research was a rather difficult task indeed!”
Pilgrim: “So, as your posters seem to describe, long ago the stones were heaved upward and our magnificent mountains came into being!”
Fr. Tochon: “Yes, you’re correct, but it’s not quite that simple. You see, the Earth is alive, it has its own logic. It takes its time, and this is not in our control. There were sudden movements – earthquakes – and some other very slow movements. All this happened over 200 million years. It's similar to exploring the history of the Bible. With that too, we have long silences. So with patience we try to fill in the missing pieces as best we can. In attempting to understand the geology of our surroundings at the La Salette Shrine, there are still huge gaps in our knowledge.”
Pilgrim: “So, then, what do you do to help pilgrims like myself to understand the geological history of this beautiful place?”
Fr. Tochon: “Well, since 2007, with the assistance of a student in geology and a professional geologist with his computer, I now offer several special workshops for our pilgrims. More specifically, I have been offering our pilgrims ‘Geological Wednesdays’ during the Summer seasons. On these days, I display:
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Pilgrim: “And how does God fit into all of this?”
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| Fr. Pierre with Fr. Henri, archaeologist and geologist as a friend looks on |
Fr. Tochon: “God, of course does not tell us how the dinosaurs disappeared, nor where man first met his neighbor, the chimpanzee. Rather we certainly feel God’s presence and handiwork when we talk about all this. There are certain things that are God’s preferred domain: our relationship with God and God’s covenant with us; God’s call to us to experience his love for us. Even with the advantage of carbon-14 dating, we can never control God’s presence and action in this world of ours. For my part as a budding geologist, I can only do my best to share some information that is necessary and useful, but when we speak of God, we must allow ourselves to be touched by the experience of wonder.”
Pilgrim: “One last question. You have a background in geology and yet you are a priest. Are these two areas of study compatible?”
Fr. Tochon: “Why not? A great French geologist, paleotologist and Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), once discovered the Peking man. Another Frenchman, the Abbé Henri Breuil (1877-1961), studied and explained ancient cave paintings. He once said: ‘We can still serve the Lord and praise him while applying the rules of scientific research.’ There are lots of ways to discover and experience God’s presence. As the Psalmist reminds us: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands’ (Psalm 19:2).”
