What is a Pilgrimage?

Often, when we meet someone socially for the first time, we will be asked, "What do you do?" When we respond that we organize and lead pilgrimages, the reaction may be something like "Oh, really..." and some further explanation is needed.

It's probably easiest to begin by saying what one of our pilgrimages is not. We don't walk on our knees in the rain at midnight carrying candles and singing in Latin. We don't fast. For those so inclined, those are good things, but they're just not things that we do.
Pilgrims on The "Via Dolorosa" (the "way of sorrows" or the "way of the cross"), tracing the stations of the cross in Jerusalem.

A critic might say, "But this is too much fun to be a pilgrimage." Where is it written that a pilgrimage can't be joyful? Discovery, especially of life's important questions, should be fun. If it isn't, I would be suspicious of its value.

Our trips are all led by a priest as Spiritual Director. The sites are usually his choice and have something of religious significance in addition to other interests. The objective of visiting them is to deepen the understanding and appreciation of our Catholic faith, its place in history and the people throughout the world who share our heritage. This gives a purpose to the visit other than just idle curiosity - it separates a pilgrimage from just another trip.

Most trips tend to focus on landscape, culture, life-style and history. What we try to do is add, in a balanced way, Catholic spiritual experience. For instance, when we visit a famous church or cathedral, we try to have Mass there. We don't miss the architecture or the history; we add a dimension of faith. But even if, for one reason or another, we can't have Mass there, we can pray and appreciate the significance of the place to our Faith.

As our name implies, Marian shrines are among our favorite stops. There are hundreds of these throughout the world, perhaps fifty of which are considered major ones. If you don't believe in modern miracles, you need to visit and study some of the Marian shrines. Many are apparition sites approved by the Church. They bear witness to direct communication from God to his people through Mary, bringing messages of conversion and hope. We never miss a chance to go to a Marian site.

Summarily, our idea of a pilgrimage is "a fun filled trip whose purpose is to discover and deepen our Catholic faith at a site of historical and spiritual significance." Sound like a good idea? We think so!

Check out our currently scheduled trips.