Make Any Family Vacation with Holy with a Mini-Pilgrimage

If an international pilgrimage isn’t feasible for your family, Maria Riley shows how you can still have an impactful, holy experience anywhere you go!

Recently I was thinking about my first pilgrimage. A few years ago, I was blessed to go on a pilgrimage to Portugal. To say that trip changed my life is the understatement of the century. I came home from that pilgrimage on fire for Christ and his church.

I spent an entire week in holy places, surrounded by holy people, attending Mass every day, removed from the distractions of everyday life. This allowed me to experience God’s mercy in a new and intimate way. In a soul-piercing, life-changing way.

Naturally, I wanted to share this feeling with those I love. I immediately wanted to take my entire family of six on a pilgrimage. Alas, the reality of us all traveling on a pilgrimage is not feasible. Not only is it expensive, but my girls don’t have the stamina for that type of schedule. My kids need a week to adjust to daylight savings, so I can’t imagine them functioning on a 6-hour time zone difference.

Additionally, most days on our trip we were up and out of the room by 7 AM, and not to the next hotel until after dinner. My kids like their downtime and creature comforts. I recognized that if I took them abroad, I’d spend my time trying to manage their needs and crankiness, and I would miss out on the trip God wanted for me.

Yet that doesn’t mean I can’t let my kids get a taste of a pilgrimage. I just have to make it kid-sized.

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In March, my daughters had spring break, and we took a trip with just the six of us. Since we don’t live close to any family, the vast majority of our vacations are coordinated with extended family. I love when the girls get to see their grandparents and cousins, but there was something special about an entire trip just for us.

Now that we live in Kansas, smack dab in the middle of the continental United States, we took the opportunity to visit Oklahoma City. We had a blast! Overall we found the city to be welcoming, clean, safe, and fun. While we were there we introduced the girls to mini-golf, walked along the Bricktown Canal, explored the Science Museum of Oklahoma, and braved the rides at Six Flags Frontier City.

Before we did any of those things, though, we took a half-day pilgrimage to the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine. This beautiful site features a stunning main church and chapel in the Spanish-mission style. The pilgrim center has a museum, gift shop, and video about Fr. Stanley Rother, who was martyred in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala on July 28, 1981.

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Near the back of the property, a winding path leads pilgrims up Tepeyac Hill, a replica of the place where Our Lady of Guadelupe appeared to St. Juan Diego in present-day Mexico. Our Lady of Guadelupe is the patron of the Americas. The weather was a tad bit chilly, but I was grateful we weren’t sweating or inundated with other pilgrims.

While we were there, we visited each of the areas, enjoying the beauty of the architecture and the grounds. We learned about the life of Bl. Stanley Rother and the amazing sacrifice he made for his flock in Guatemala. We concluded our mini-pilgrimage with daily Mass in the chapel, which has the body of Bl. Stanley Rother reposed in the altar, and a stunning mural above the altar featuring many of the martyrs of the Church.

Our entire pilgrimage took about three hours, which was the perfect length for my teen and tween daughters. We were in a holy place, surrounded by holy people, attending a daily Mass, and removed from the distractions of everyday life. Without a time-zone change.

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Any family vacation can include a mini-pilgrimage. Even if there isn’t a national shrine or ornate basilica in your vicinity, attending Mass at a new church can be a perfect first family pilgrimage. All you have to do is take some time before or after Mass to explore the church.

Invite your kids to find things that are the same and different between your home parish and your pilgrimage site. Spend a few minutes learning about the saint whom the parish is named after. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the tabernacle, or a decade of the Rosary in a side chapel.

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When we introduce the concept of pilgrimage to our kids young, we can kindle that love of travel and appreciation of the beautiful places constructed for the glory of God. We show our kids that even though we have fun visiting amusement parks, we prioritize visiting holy places first. Most importantly, we teach them to live their lives as pilgrims, always journeying toward our heavenly home.

Have you taken your family on a pilgrimage? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.