WASHINGTON, October 26, 2011 - Immigrants built America, and many of them crossed oceans to escape religious persecution in their native homelands. Whatever the reason they left home, they brought their religious beliefs with them.
Generations later descendants of those intrepid pioneers want to learn about the faith that shaped their ancestors and themselves. Maybe they’re Irish and Catholic, Protestant and French, or maybe Jewish and German, and they want a “roots” tours back to the old countries. Some just want to expand their church history knowledge. And some do these faith tours or a different focus on a familiar destination.
Dr. Dwyn Mounger, a retired Presbyterian minister who has a degree in church history from Union Theological Seminary, is leading a 12-day Huguenot Heritage tour with Reformation Tours next spring, April 23-May 4 and all are welcome to join the group going to Switzerland and France.
Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries, and they were driven from their homeland by religious persecution. Their diaspora included Europe and North America.
"I first became interest in the Huguenots while living in St. Augustine, FL where I was serving as interim pastor of a church that had an early 19th century graveyard called Huguenot Cemetery said Mounger."
Other centers of Huguenot culture in America include Charleston, SC (site of the last active Huguenot congregation in North America), New Rochelle and New Paltz, NY, and Manikin, VA. he said. Famous Americans past and present with Huguenot heritage include Alexander Hamilton, Paul Revere, first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay, Judy Garland, Johnny Depp, and Warren Buffett
"What's often surprising to 21st century Americans,” Mounger continued, “is that most European nations in the 16th century branded as traitors those of a religion different from the monarch. In the French ‘Wars of Religion’ (1562-98) Protestants and Catholics alike committed outrages. Thousands of both denominations perished.”
The Huguenot itinerary begins in Geneva where participants will visit the International Museum of Protestantism and other sites connected with the history. Into southeast France, the group will see Le Chambon, a mountainous Protestant village whose pastors persuaded their parishioners in the 1940s to shelter thousands of mostly Jewish fugitives from the Nazis.
Art and wine chateaux, a rail journey, Normandy’s D-Day beaches, and three nights in springtime Paris will round out stops at other historical sites in France on the Mounger tour.
Faith “roots” itineraries by tour companies that specialize in this travel niche may be customized to fit group or individual interests. Or, you or your group may join an already scheduled departure:
Gil Travel: Jewish heritage tours to Eastern Europe that emphasize the World War II era depart several dates from May to September, and Israel tours of 9 to 14 days depart year ‘round.
GlobusFaith Tours: Reformation and St. Patrick legacy tours are in the Globus repertoire, and so are customized “roots” tours for specific requests, said Mike Shields, a Globus managing director. “We have the ability to contract anywhere in the world, and that means we can fill specific preferences. Many people want something unique, and this is our specialty.”
Huguenot Cross
Pilgrim Tours: In its new for 2012 nine-day Germany Christian Heritage Tour, Pilgrim spotlights Martin Luther sites - something account executive Dan Bergey said “are the roots of all Protestant denominations.” Pilgrim is also offering three departure dates in 2012 for its 17-day Germany and Israel tour, which combines the Reformation sites with a traditional Holy Land pilgrimage.
MTS Travel: A May Celtic pilgrimage to Scotland features the contemplative community on Scotland’s Island of Iona, plus stops in Edinburgh, Lindisfarne, and Scotland/England border sites.
Reformation Tours: Besides its specialty Reformation-themed tours to Germany and other European destinations, the company is adding a new “roots” of Christian heritage itinerary to England and Scotland that will include touchdown at Scotland’s legendary Island of Iona in the Hebrides and Olympic sites in London.
Select International: In addition to Holy Land pilgrimage tours, Select offers customizable itineraries to Christian Russia, a tour to Great Britain for Methodist heritage study, and Italy and Spain for faith heritage sites.
Select International president Edita Krunic, said ethnic pilgrimage tours with a faith focus are on the rise. “Iraqi Christian groups are particularly active in doing trips to the Holy Land and using that as a springboard for extensions into Iraq,” she said.
Read more of Ruth Hill's travel columns in the Washington Times Communities, Contemporary Christian Travel.
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