The Pilgrims Page: Dust off that map, it’s time for a pilgrimage!

With the start of a New Year, I’m going to take a break from featuring sacred art and switch to pilgrimages in preparation for the Jubilee year of 2025. The Holy Father has declared that 2025 will be a Jubilee Year following the custom of calling for one every 25 years. The upcoming theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.”

The declaration of the Holy Year began with Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1300. He declared a Jubilee Year and encouraged the faithful to travel to holy sites, but most especially to Rome. You might have a recollection of a Jubilee year not that long ago. Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee year of Mercy in 2016, however, traditionally they have been called every 25 years. A big part of the Jubilee year is a call to go on a pilgrimage to venerate places significant in the lives of Jesus, Mary and the saints, and significant shrines designated by the church.

With so many great pilgrimage places to visit, I think it’s best to start close to home. With this in mind, in this column we are going to travel on pilgrimage to sites in the Midwest this year and go international next year. Whether you are an armchair pilgrim or a frequent traveler, there is something for everyone.

Before we start, I want to introduce you to the idea of getting a pilgrim journal. This way you can document your experience. You of course can get your own journal wherever you want, but I did find one website where I can create my own: www.simplytoimpress.com/stationery/custom-journals. I uploaded my own picture and text so that this journal would be only designated for pilgrimage.

Some things to include in your pilgrim journal might be: things you learned about the pilgrimage site, reflections on the journey getting there, quotes, and your first impression. Of course, include your petitions and bring along petitions of those friends and family who are not able to travel. Other ideas could be sketching something interesting to you and I would even include drawing a map of the site or grounds. You could press some wildflowers or leaves found at the site. I like the idea of a “field notes” section on who you were able to speak with while there and what you learned. Is there specialty food or drink made there that you bought or tried? Reflections from your prayer time there and finally ask for signatures or stamps to validate your visit there.

The photo shown is the journal I made through the site with a picture I took of my favorite pilgrimage site, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Of course, you can make a pilgrimage outside of the Midwest, especially if you have other vacation plans and want to include some holy sites along the way.  I would encourage you to pick up some good resources such as, Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America by Marion Amberg and her second book, Mary’s Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America. If you’re a history buff, you might like, A Catholic Pilgrimage Through American History by Kevin Schmiesing. Finally, a website that lists official shrines in the United States: www.catholicshrines.org/shrine-directory.

So here we go, dust off that map or use you smartphone, we are heading to Minnesota next month to visit the shrine of St. Odilia run by the Crosier Fathers in Onamia and the Benedictine Abbey of St. John in St. John with some other worthy mentions along the way.