The Gift of Pilgrimage October 17, 2024

The word pilgrimage can be defined as a spiritual journey to a sacred place. Pilgrimage in the Catholic faith finds its roots in those who would journey to venerate the graves of the Roman martyrs, who died for their love of Christ. Ultimately, the pilgrimage was meant to glorify God for the grace that allowed these martyrs to give their lives in faith, in emulation of Christ.

Throughout my years as a priest and seminarian, I have enjoyed the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to holy sites with fellow pilgrims, and from the journey to draw inspiration to live a deeper and more fruitful life of faith. In the Middle Ages, the three great Pilgrimage sites were Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela in Northwest Spain. When I was in seminary, I had the opportunity to visit all three of these sites during the Jubilee year of 2000 before and after our semester in Jerusalem. Those memories remain vivid to this day. Also vivid are the two pilgrimages I made with my parents and others to Italy and the Holy Land, respectively.

Pilgrim and Pilgrimage can also be traced back to Scripture as an image for God’s people, moving together on a journey of faith. The pilgrims must follow God and God’s Spirit, while also relying on God to provide for their spiritual and material needs. Israel’s spiritual journey from slavery to liberation, and to restoration provides a model for all those seeking to follow God and move to a place of greater freedom. Given our frailty and the fact that we are beset by the effects of sin, pilgrimages do not always go as smoothly as we would wish. I certainly have some illustrative stories from my past pilgrimage experiences which fit the bill.

Given how powerful the image of pilgrimage is in Scripture and in the Catholic tradition, it is not surprising, then, that the Second Vatican Council fathers chose the image of pilgrim to describe the Catholic Church. The Church is described throughout the Vatican Council documents as the pilgrim people of God on a journey of faith which culminates in heaven. On our journey of faith, we should be attentive to today’s Gospel and not make the mistake of the disciples who wish to be glorified in heaven without following Jesus’s model of sacrifice and self gift. The spirituality of pilgrimage can be a helpful image and source of grace to help all disciples on our faith journey.

As you read this, I am on pilgrimage in Sicily and the Amalfi coast with fellow pilgrims – more than half of whom are from The Basilica of Saint Mary. In addition to the spiritual opportunities and the time for fellowship and site seeing, I have enjoyed these opportunities to get to know parishioners and friends better – taking the opportunities for easy conversation, good meals, and laughter. Please keep our group in your prayers and we promise to light candles and pray for the Basilica community throughout our journey. In April, after Easter, Johan Van Parys will lead a pilgrimage to his native Belgium. Johan asked me to serve as the spiritual guide. Having never been to Belgium and knowing that we would have a first-class guide in Johan, I readily accepted. This pilgrimage will take place April 22-30, 2025. There is information in the back of church and through the parish office. I hope you can join us.

Lastly, I know that not everyone can afford to travel to Europe on pilgrimage, so I would like to highlight a few pilgrimage sites closer to home. There is an impressive pre-Vatican II style church in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which many pilgrims have enjoyed visiting. Also in Wisconsin, is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, which is the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the United States. And it’s conveniently located close to another American shrine – Lambeau Field. J My hope in the coming months and years is that our own Basilica of Saint Mary, the first basilica in the United States and one of the most beautiful churches in the country, would become a popular pilgrimage destination, drawing fellow sojourners who wish to deepen their faith in God on their journey of faith.

Fr. Griffith