Montségur Rescue

This is a story of past and present…

The siege of Montségur was a nine-month siege of the Cathar-held Château de Montségur by French royal forces starting in May 1243. After the castle surrendered, about 210 people were burned in a bonfire on 16 March 1244.

It’s been claimed that three or four Cathar leaders survived; they left the castle by a secret route to recover a treasure that had been buried in a nearby forest in the weeks prior to the surrender. The treasure not only contained material valuables but also documents (perhaps including Mary Magdalene’s famed “Book of Love” and possibly relics). Nothing about its whereabouts is known.

You can read more about the history of Montségur in my full pilgrimage post (click here).

It was quite the climb up to the 17th Century ruins built atop the The Château de Montségur, which was razed after the siege of 1244.

I’ll admit, I was huffing and puffing and relieved I’d invested in a light pair of walking poles for this pilgrimage.

At one point, our group caught up to another. One elderly woman in particular attracted the attention of my fellow pilgrim & nurse, Sarah Rose. She seemed to be struggling with her footing and breathing. After checking that she was fine, we continued.

Once we’d spent time at the top, connecting to the energy of the peace-loving Cathars, I started heading down. Then I heard the familiar pulsating noise of a helicopter approaching.

At first I thought it may be tourist thing, but quickly realized that I was witnessing a rescue.

As I continued to make my way down, I learned from one of her group members that Brigitte had twisted her ankle and fallen.

She was conscious and talking about her dislike of flying when I got close enough to film what was happening, all the while praying for her quick recovery.

I’m one of those who don’t watch the news. The sensationalism and focus on negativity affect me too much. It’s part of why I’ve used movies for years to help me become less sensitive. That’s another story.

Creating this video wasn’t about the drama. 

I was deep in the feeling for those who died for their beliefs in love & peace, refusing to bend to life-threatening peer pressure.

I was walking down the steep mountainside, just as they had before they’d voluntarily mounted onto the pyres and died in the flames.

There was no rescue for the Cathars. They’d waited, but none came. 

To witness such an elaborate rescue for an injured ankle in our modern times seemed like a sign of hope from the heavens … ok the sky.

I was feeling the horrors of the past and being an eyewitness to resources of the present.

The contrast of these two events stirred my soul.

As soon as I got back to the retreat house, I dove into the creation of this video. The text emerged from my creative process, helping me understand what had moved me so much.

Truly, art is transformational.

This video is now added to the layers of prayers for peace our group made at Montségur and throughout our pilgrimage.

And if your heart reached out to Brigitte while watching this video, know you’ve added another layer to the prayers we made for her and all those suffering in our times.

I invite you to take a moment to pray for anyone in your life or anywhere in the world that could use a warm wave of love right now. 

Peace be with you.