Every July, in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, an ancient tradition begins again.
Every July, the Mary Magdalene Feast in Provence brings an ancient tradition to life in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.
Something begins to stir in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. The Mary Magdalene Feast in Provence is about to begin.
And once again, a tradition that began nearly 750 years ago comes alive.
The basilica prepares. The reliquary of Mary Magdalene leaves the silence of the crypt. Music and voices return to the streets. Families gather. Ancient gestures are repeated.
And once again, a tradition that began nearly 750 years ago comes alive.
For me, the Feast of Mary Magdalene is not simply an event on the calendar. I was born and raised in Saint-Maximin, and these celebrations belong to the landscape of my childhood, to the history of my family, and to the spiritual heritage I have spent much of my life exploring and sharing.
Today, as President of the association Santo Madaleno — Sainte Madeleine in Provençal — I feel even more deeply the responsibility of helping to preserve and transmit this extraordinary living tradition.
A Feast Born in 1280
The story begins in 1279.
That year, the relics of Mary Magdalene were discovered in Saint-Maximin by Charles II of Anjou, Count of Provence. The event is recorded in the historical archives.
The following year, in 1280, the first solemn Feast of Mary Magdalene was celebrated.
Nearly 750 years later, we are still celebrating her.
There is something deeply moving in that simple fact.
Kingdoms have disappeared. Generations have come and gone. The world has changed beyond recognition.
Yet every July, the people of Saint-Maximin gather again in honor of Mary Magdalene.
When Mary Magdalene Leaves the Crypt
For most of the year, the reliquary of Mary Magdalene rests in the crypt of the basilica.
But every July, before the feast, it leaves the silence of the crypt and is brought into the choir.
This movement has always touched me.
For a few days, Mary Magdalene comes out from the hidden place and returns to the heart of the community.
The silence of the crypt gives way to bells, music, prayer and celebration.
It is as if the whole town enters her feast.
The Ancient Call Still Heard in the Streets
One of the traditions closest to my heart takes place at the opening of the festivities.
In the Middle Ages, a town crier would stand in a public place and announce the beginning of the feast.
That tradition has never disappeared.
Today, my husband, Norbert, has the privilege of continuing this ancient role, passed down through his family for generations. As his ancestors did before him, he invites the people of Saint-Maximin and Provence to join the celebrations.
And he does so in Provençal:
“Bravi gen de Sant Meissemin de Prouvenço,
De festo espelaculoso van si debana a Sant Meissemin aquesto semane en l’ounour de Santo Madaleno, patrouno de nosto villo et de la Prouvenço.
Sias couralament convida a ié assista et ié participa.
Siéchés urous et plen de joio.
Santo Madaleno vous proutéjara.”
“Good people of Saint-Maximin and Provence,
Spectacular celebrations will take place in Saint-Maximin this week in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene, patron saint of our town and of Provence.
You are warmly invited to attend and take part.
Be happy and filled with joy.
Saint Mary Magdalene will protect you.”
Each year, when I hear these words spoken again, I think of all the voices that came before ours.
The words remain. The language remains.The invitation remains.
A Living Tradition
Living traditions do not survive by themselves. They survive because people care for them.
This is why, decades ago, with a group of friends from old Saint-Maximin families, we created the association Santo Madaleno, to preserve the traditions surrounding Mary Magdalene and protect the spirit of a feast that has shaped our town for centuries.
Today, as its President, I feel the weight and the beauty of that responsibility.
My own connection to Mary Magdalene is inseparable from transmission. I received stories from my family. I grew up close to the basilica and the relics. Later, I began guiding pilgrims, writing about her and creating pilgrimages so that others could encounter the places that have shaped my own life.
We are not trying to preserve the past as if it belonged in a museum. We are trying to keep something alive.
And every July, I return to something very simple.
A town gathers. A reliquary leaves the crypt. Ancient words are spoken again. People walk through streets where generations before them once walked.
For nearly 750 years, the Feast of Mary Magdalene has continued in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.
What we receive with love, we have a responsibility to transmit.
And this July, once again, the ancient invitation will be heard:
Be happy and filled with joy. Saint Mary Magdalene will protect you.