Sacred Steps: Exploring Pilgrimages Near and Far
Have you ever made or wanted to make a pilgrimage to a holy site? Before answering that, let’s establish the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage. A vacation is a leisure trip for a “getaway,” usually focused on relaxation, entertainment, and exploration. A Catholic pilgrimage, on the other hand, is a spiritual journey to a sacred site with the purpose of deepening one's faith, seeking divine grace, or fulfilling a religious vow. While vacations prioritize personal enjoyment, pilgrimages emphasize not only some personal enjoyment but also spiritual growth and devotion.
The foundation of a pilgrimage is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Examples include Abraham’s journey of faith and St. Paul’s missionary journeys with and for our Lord. Even the Gospels provide accounts of pilgrimage: each year, Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. In His adult life, Jesus continued this tradition, journeying throughout the Holy Land and ultimately returning to Jerusalem to face His suffering, death, and resurrection.
One of my favorite pilgrimage sites is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Because I worked in Mexico and lived in close proximity to the sanctuary, I have visited many times and have brought friends and family to this holy site. The basilica and grounds are stunning and reflect vibrant cultural expressions of faith and devotion. This inspirational site is where countless people bring their hopes, struggles, and gratitude. Standing before the image of the Virgin, you can palpably feel the love and trust people have placed in her for centuries.
As we approach the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, I am certain that many of you would love to travel on a pilgrimage to Mexico to visit her. However, because of distance, time, expense, or other constraints, that possibility may be out of reach. Let me offer some ideas for making a more local pilgrimage, particularly to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
This past October, I had the opportunity to join the Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher. Their investiture Mass took place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is just a short four-hour drive from the Joliet area. Completed in 2008, this Marian shrine invites pilgrims and visitors to an extraordinarily beautiful place of prayer and devotion. With a variety of chapels and gardens, the 70-acre site evokes similar feelings of love for Our Lady and her Son, Jesus, as I have felt while visiting the shrine in Mexico.
If La Crosse still feels too far to travel, consider “El Cerrito” in Des Plaines, IL. This Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe includes life-sized statues depicting the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego. These statues are part of a dedicated space within the sanctuary, offering visitors a chance to pray and reflect on this sacred moment.
Perhaps your holiday travels this season unexpectedly bring you close to a shrine. It’s convenient to locate various shrines on-line at sites such as www.catholicshrines.org or www.catholicpilgrimagesites.wordpress.com/sites-by-state.
If you prefer staying closer to home for your pilgrimage, consider doing a Visitation of the Seven Churches in your local community during Holy Week. In this Catholic tradition, pilgrims visit multiple churches on the evening of Holy Thursday to reflect, pray, and meditate on Christ's Passion and sacrifice. It may not be a pilgrimage of long distance, yet it certainly embodies the spiritual journey of faith and devotion.
Several priests in the Diocese of Joliet from time to time offer Catholic pilgrimages to various sacred sites around the world. One priest recently shared with me his motivation for leading pilgrimages: “Pilgrimages provide an opportunity to broaden our horizons as the past comes into contact with the present, and we are changed by this interaction. Every pilgrim is called by Jesus to go on a journey of encounter where He introduces us to our larger family as we meet the saints who wait for us at each holy site.”
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, remember that shepherds, kings, and even angels made their pilgrimage to worship and adore our Savior at His birth. As we walk our own journeys of faith and life, may God bless you abundantly as, together, we as a Church continue to make our pilgrimage to our final destination: the heavenly Jerusalem.
