The US Has Never Had Much of a Pilgrimage Tradition – Perhaps Now is the Opportunity

One feature of the pandemic has been the curtailment of a practice that for millennia has provided an outlet for healing in times of crisis: pilgrimage.

From restrictions on the Hajj for Muslims to the Catholic pilgrimage to Lourdes going virtual, people of faith have been unable to embark on journeys that would in other times provide solace and community.

As a scholar of religion and geography who has written about the role of pilgrimage, I know the U.S. has never had a strong tradition of pilgrimage. But I believe that could change and give Americans new ways to heal in the post-pandemic era. Read More

A a practitioner of peripatetic prayer and reflection I can see value in the establishment of a regional network of paths, chapels, and hostels. The early Celtic monks undertook pilgrimages to grow in their relationship with God. They, however, advised would-be pilgrims that they would not find Christ at the end of their pilgrimage unless they took Christ with them. They practiced bánmartre, white martyrdom, in which they undertook a journey for Christ, a journey that separated them from loved ones and from which they might not return. Just as silent retreats can help us grow spiritually, so can extended prayer walks and pilgrimages if they are done properly. They provide a break from the distractions of this world and an opportunity to draw closer to God.