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Are you called to go on a pilgrimage? Sharon Wilson explains how you can take a pilgrimage without having to journey to Europe or the Holy Land.


A funny thing happened a few months ago. I was on my way to work and because I needed to stop at a meeting before I went into the office, I turned on my GPS as I left.  

I live off of Interstate 35 in Minnesota and my GPS directed me to follow the “Avenue of the Saints.”  

What is this? A message from God? I always thought GPS stood for Global Positioning System, but was this some kind of God Positioning System?  

With just a little bit of research I found out that the Avenue of the Saints is a series of roads connecting St. Louis, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota. Far from it being any spiritual message, the concept came from an Iowa businessman who envisioned a continuous four-lane highway from these two important centers of commerce.  

 

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Despite the very-nonspiritual origins of this path, I couldn’t help pondering about the significance of connecting two cities and naming it Avenue of the Saints. As Catholics, we have this great tradition of pilgrimage. Some of the most famous of these pilgrimages are Lourdes, Rome, and the Camino de Santiago. I feel blessed to have taken pilgrimages to both Rome and the Holy Land.  

 

But why pilgrimage?  

Stephen J. Binz, in an article for St. Anthony Messenger, listed seven reasons to go on a pilgrimage.  

  • Experiencing a Call 
  • Marking a Life Transition 
  • Honoring a Loved One 
  • Praying for a Need 
  • Enriching a Marriage 
  • Encountering God More Experientially 
  • Joining with Christians across Time and Place 

I believe I have five of the seven reasons listed above in my heart, but I don’t have the time or the resources to take the Camino. 

But a pilgrimage, walking in the footsteps of the saints, doesn’t need to be to some far-off land. A pilgrimage can happen in your own backyard. There are some beautiful places in the United States to pilgrimage and we even have a special opportunity to join in a once-in-a-lifetime Eucharistic Pilgrimage happening soon.  

 

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A pilgrimage can also be something you can plan to a special place in your heart. It can be a local shrine, church, or monastery. It can be something as simple as walking to Mass in the morning. The important thing is to make it your own, plan the pilgrimage with a purpose, and pray.  

 The GPS on my phone pointed me to the Avenue of the Saints and has led me to commit myself to a pilgrimage this Summer. It might just be from St. Paul to St. Louis.  

Where is your GPS calling you?  

 

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Copyright 2024 Sharon Wilson
Images: Canva; Screenshot of Avenue of the Saints entry on Wikipedia; Holy Cross Family Ministries