Pilgrimage?

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I’ve been contemplating since I re-converted a few years ago of going on pilgrimage. I’ve always wanted to go, for example, to see Mt. St.-Michel in Normandy, or visit Anglo-Norman churches that were built in the Middle Ages, or walking the Way of Santiago in Europe. I have to say that I’m slightly jealous that one of my friends will probably be studying abroad in England and chances are, will not be actively pursuing such things (she is not Catholic or religious). Unfortunately, these things are completely out of my price range. I’m a poor graduate so I don’t see this happening soon.

…But I noticed that my diocese is doing a March for Life pilgrimage in D.C. in January 2014 for a couple days. I would love to go, since they are stopping at the National Basilica (always have wanted to go there). As soon as I saw the ad in the diocese magazine, I’ve had this calling to go. It’s a feeling that is very rare, that I have not really experienced. I have a month to figure it out, but my issue is that it will cost several hundred dollars and I would have to take unpaid time off work. Who knows, I could be terminated if I take 4 days off in a row even if I take no other time off for the whole year.

Sometimes my diocese offers “local” pilgrimages to local churches but this often involves driving, and I don’t have a car. I figure I could always try to get a ride, but it would feel odd. The problem is that usually these local pilgrimages are in suburbs I’ve never been to.

I figure weekend retreats are also an option but I have not looked extensively into retreats at monasteries or anything like that.

I’m disappointed that a traditional pilgrimage can be so expensive, ranging in the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I guess my question is, if any of the above options are not open to me, would I be able to find a “substitute?” For example, I’ve been thinking about attending Eucharistic/Perpetual Adoration at my church some mornings of the week. It’s only 5 minutes away and I could spend some quiet time in prayer. But for some reason, I’m horrified of doing so. Does anyone else feel this way? I’m guess I’m afraid of going to the chapel at a specific time only to have to leave if there is a wedding or baptism going on. I would think that spending some quiet time in silent prayer at my home would be an “inner pilgrimage” if such a concept exists.

I’m wondering if others have been on a pilgrimage anywhere, and how it’s changed you (IF it’s changed you in any way). And for others who have not but would love to go on a pilgrimage, where would you go or how would you go about doing one?
 
You seem very young by your post. Know that inner pilgrimages occur all of the time with me as I think about my past and plan for my future, and I am 57.

With regard to the pilgrimage to Washington, talk to your boss now. He may be able to cover you for that time if you are giving him advance notice. He may even give you some overtime to help you save for the trip. Ask the priest if the parish can sponsor you. If not, support them by doing things to help promote the pilgrimage in other ways, like passing out flyers, making phone calls, etc.

The trip (or trips) to Europe will come later. It is something you have to look forward to. You have plenty of time. For now, go to the library and take a picturesque trip through those places. It is not the same as being there, but let your imagination roam as you would if you were there.

Good luck in your endeavors. All you seek will come to pass through the Lord.
 
Tous,
Yes, i have been on a pilgrammage to a Marian apparition site. CAF rules do not allow me to mention the name of the place, so i won’t, but here is a bit of my experience as it relates to some of your questions:

Note that I had been Catholic for many years, since my marriage, but had grown up Protestant, so had ZERO attachment to the Virgin Mary. I respected her role in God’s plan, but i just had no ‘connection’ with her. As for ‘apparitions’, (it’s ok to laugh at me for this) i literally did not even know what the word meant !

In 2005 we went on a pilgrammage to this place. That in itself is also a very long story ( I did NOT want to go, was pretty much dragged there by my wife ! ).

Well, i will just say that those 10 days , and the prayers in the weeks that followed have changed my life entirely, no corner of my life is as it was before that trip.
I am talking about profound and undeniable personal experience, change to the very core of my soul. All those places and things in there that no one but me could go to or see. All changed thru the patient mercy of God’s grace and the intercession of Our Lady.

One more thing- never feel you have to leave the church due to a wedding or baptism, those are Sacraments ( a wedding is a Holy Mass ! ). They are not private events !
Also, never feel uncomfortable when you are before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus wants us to be there with Him. And our Mother Mary pleads for us to come to Adoration: “… Special graces are then being received”.

There is no greater pilgrammage than a trip to your local church to spend time in Adoration of Jesus, present on the altar. Go to Him, offer him everything in your heart, ask, ask much, offer much, to Him.
 
If your Parish Church has “Perpetual Adoration”, it would be located in a side chapel if a wedding or funeral were being performed. Also, it’s unlikely that a wedding would be going on early in the morning during the week, but you can check with your Parish Office, and find out which days the Church is having these. If you are uncomfortable attending a wedding or funeral, go the other days. Going to pray before the Blessed Sacrament exposed for Adoration IS a spiritual pilgrimage. I’ve never been on a Pilgrimage, although there are two of them I would love to go on! Being a Senior Citizen, I have the time, but not the money! I also suggest you follow the suggestion of asking your boss about the possibility of going to the Washington D.C. pilgrimage. I can almost guarantee that your Parish will help with expenses since you are young & newly working. Ask to help by volunteering to help sell tickets (this is often done at our Parish in the Hall after Mass for special trips, such as World Youth Day), and do other things that will help promote this pilgrimage. In exchange, the Parish might pay for all or part of your expenses. If you feel God is calling you to make this trip, He will likely provide a way. If you only sit and dream about it, I doubt He’s going to help, since you are only “wishing” for it, although He could perform a miracle and have your Priest (and your boss) suggest you go & pay for you, but if you don’t ask, you can’t receive! Good luck, and I’ll help you pray for this trip to the National Basilica. It might make a big difference in your faith life! Speak first to your Priest about it, then to your boss if your Priest is willing to help you.
 
I’m guessing that you are somewhere in central or western NA?

If so, there may be nearby holy sites you could get to. Time to do some research.

For example, my parish just did a one-day pilgrimage to the Spanish Missions in San Antonio (TX) as a Year of Faith activity.

There are comparable locales in several states or Canadian provinces.

Also, don’t give up on the DC option just yet. You don’t know whether this would imperil your job until you ask your employer.

“Classical” pilgrimage costs hundreds or thousands of US$ because from NA, it normally involves oceanic crossings. Take heart, however, historically such journeys have been years-long or even lifetime efforts. Your difficulties are not unique.

ICXC NIKA.
 
Tous_Logous said:
I’ve been contemplating since I re-converted a few years ago of going on pilgrimage. I’ve always wanted to go, for example, to see Mt. St.-Michel in Normandy, or visit Anglo-Norman churches that were built in the Middle Ages, or walking the Way of Santiago in Europe. I have to say that I’m slightly jealous that one of my friends will probably be studying abroad in England and chances are, will not be actively pursuing such things (she is not Catholic or religious). Unfortunately, these things are completely out of my price range. I’m a poor graduate so I don’t see this happening soon.

…But I noticed that my diocese is doing a March for Life pilgrimage in D.C. in January 2014 for a couple days. I would love to go, since they are stopping at the National Basilica (always have wanted to go there). As soon as I saw the ad in the diocese magazine, I’ve had this calling to go. It’s a feeling that is very rare, that I have not really experienced. I have a month to figure it out, but my issue is that it will cost several hundred dollars and I would have to take unpaid time off work. Who knows, I could be terminated if I take 4 days off in a row even if I take no other time off for the whole year.

Sometimes my diocese offers “local” pilgrimages to local churches but this often involves driving, and I don’t have a car. I figure I could always try to get a ride, but it would feel odd. The problem is that usually these local pilgrimages are in suburbs I’ve never been to.

I figure weekend retreats are also an option but I have not looked extensively into retreats at monasteries or anything like that.

I’m disappointed that a traditional pilgrimage can be so expensive, ranging in the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I guess my question is, if any of the above options are not open to me, would I be able to find a “substitute?” For example, I’ve been thinking about attending Eucharistic/Perpetual Adoration at my church some mornings of the week. It’s only 5 minutes away and I could spend some quiet time in prayer. But for some reason, I’m horrified of doing so. Does anyone else feel this way? I’m guess I’m afraid of going to the chapel at a specific time only to have to leave if there is a wedding or baptism going on. I would think that spending some quiet time in silent prayer at my home would be an “inner pilgrimage” if such a concept exists.

I’m wondering if others have been on a pilgrimage anywhere, and how it’s changed you (IF it’s changed you in any way). And for others who have not but would love to go on a pilgrimage, where would you go or how would you go about doing one?
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Just a piece of advice and that is to avoid pilgrimages to places where, for example, apparitions are not approved by the Church.
 
you could move to europe for a few years. If you are just recently graduated from college you likely have no major ties yet. You could live in Norway, theres supposed to be work there, and they all speak english. Then after a few months saving you just walk out the door of you home and walk on pilgrimage all the way down to Spain or Italy, it might take you 3 or 4 months or whatever. I don’t think hopping back and forth from usa to europe for a few days or weeks is the best plan. good luck tho.
 
Tous_Logous said:
I’m wondering if others have been on a pilgrimage anywhere, and how it’s changed you (IF it’s changed you in any way).
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When I was at university I belonged to a Franciscan youth group, and one thing this group did was to organise every year a 2 week pilgrimage that ended in Assisi on the day of the Porziuncola indulgence - 2nd August, the feast of Our Lady of the Angels. We walked for 10 days, about 25km every day. We got up early at dawn, then morning prayer, then breakfast, then we walked, then a break and more prayer, then we walked to our destination of that day, and the rest of the day was spent in group work, Mass, and socialising, ending with evening prayer before bedtime. We slept in sleeping bags on the floor in pretty basic accommodation (like school gyms or classrooms), most of the time we only had cold showers, and had to eat what was served. It was tough 😃

A pilgrimage of this type puts us in a rhythm so different to our everyday life, and so allows us to forget about our daily concerns and habits, and to really focus on God 100%. There is nothing to distract us. The first couple of days were tough for me because I couldn’t sleep well, I was hot and tired and my feet were blistered and I was wondering if this was a good idea. I was so focused on my body and how I felt and the lack of physical comfort. But then I got used to it and got into the swing of things. I enjoyed the Liturgy of the Hours (the parts we prayed with the friars), the daily Mass, I opened up in my group and shared things about my faith. I made a great confession around day 7 because I was so ready for it.

After 10 days of walking and praying it was so amazing to reach Assisi with thousands of other young people who did the same pilgrimage, but in their part of the country. Since this is a big feast, the town was full of all sorts of pilgrims, and those who did not walk there were most numerous.This gave me a wonderful sense of community, both with various pilgrims of today, and with those of the past who made the same journey to the tomb of the ‘Poverello’ and received the indulgence at the Porziuncola. It gave me a deeper understanding of Franciscan spirituality that had a great effect on me and helped me to grow spiritually.

I understand that something like this is not possible for you at the moment. (It was not a big deal for me because I’m from Central Europe and getting to Italy is a day ride on the bus.) But since you have this desire to go on a pilgrimage, maybe you could plan it for the future. The way of St. James is apparently amazing, and I hope to make it one day. I think saving money for a few years and making it happen is a great thing to do. It is so worth it and I really hope you get that chance, wherever the road takes you.
 
Paddy_Walker said:
you could move to europe for a few years. If you are just recently graduated from college you likely have no major ties yet. You could live in Norway, theres supposed to be work there, and they all speak english. Then after a few months saving you just walk out the door of you home and walk on pilgrimage all the way down to Spain or Italy, it might take you 3 or 4 months or whatever. I don’t think hopping back and forth from usa to europe for a few days or weeks is the best plan. good luck tho.
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Hmmm… relocation takes money, and getting work while living under a foreign visa is no easy matter.

Financially, it would be simpler to save up for 2-3 years to go on pilgrimage from where he’s at.

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
Hmmm… relocation takes money, and getting work while living under a foreign visa is no easy matter.

Financially, it would be simpler to save up for 2-3 years to go on pilgrimage from where he’s at.

ICXC NIKA
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True but you might not need as much money as you would if you were going there just on a pilgrimage. To relocate you really only need bring a few weeks of pay with you and a change of clothes. For an american to work in Scandinavia you’d have to find a job over there before you go, then when you have a job offer you’d then go to that countries embassy in america to get your work permit.
So the job hunting stress happens at home in america, and wheres the stress in that. You either get a job there or you don’t.
And the job does not have to be fancy, anything in catering or even washing windows, would give you the income to go on pilgrimage for a few months each year.
 
When I was 15, I went on a youth pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. Before that, I had worked and saved up as much money as I could for a year in advance, and my grandmother helped with the rest. As for the results in my life, Our Lady of Fatima has been responsible for my moving from New York State to Ohio, and holy water from the Fatima shrine helped heal me when I suffered burns from a cooking accident, and at this point in my life (after admittedly having been lazy about it for too many years), I am finally praying the daily Rosary. So if it’s at all possible, I would recommend to you a Fatima pilgrimage.

I have attended the March for Life in Washington, DC several times, and had several phenomenally amazing “coincidence” meetings with people I’d lost touch with … only for us to find each other among a sea of about 250,000 people!

Here are some photos that I took while at the March for Life in January, 2010. As an artist / fine art photographer who normally specializes in landscapes and abstract nature scenes, I was given the opportunity that day to do some photojournalism:



This man was hanging off the Russell Senate Office Building. As participants in the March for Life passed in the street below, he would sometimes bless them with the large wooden crucifix.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Three nuns representing Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, Monroe NY carry a sign showing Pope Benedict with some children and the words “Hope and Trust in Life.”

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

An Anarchist Agnostic against Abortion was happy to discuss his views with any and all comers during the parade.

Just a small sample.

As for Eucharistic Adoration … I heartily recommend it as a pilgrimage! Because there you are, right in front of Jesus. 🙂

As for making an inner pilgrimage … That sounds like a Carthusian approach, consisting of Silence and Solitude. And here’s a Bible verse:

“But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.”

~~ Matthew 6:6

Whatever type of pilgrimage you choose …

:blessyou:
 
You could always create your own walking pilgrimage itinerary locally. For example, you could walk and visit from Church A to Church B to Church… well, you get my meaning. Make it a walking pilgrimage to each holy and blessed churches in your area. Also, you could talk with each priest at every church you intend to visit and tell them about your plans to do a walking pilgrimage all in God’s holy name and see what other ideas they could help you with.

Just a thought.

God bless
 
TempleofTheSoul said:
You could always create your own walking pilgrimage itinerary locally. For example, you could walk and visit from Church A to Church B to Church… well, you get my meaning. Make it a walking pilgrimage to each holy and blessed churches in your area. Also, you could talk with each priest at every church you intend to visit and tell them about your plans to do a walking pilgrimage all in God’s holy name and see what other ideas they could help you with.

Just a thought.

God bless
Click to expand...
That’s a really good idea.
 
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