WHY PILGRIMAGE?
Modern Catholic Pilgrim
Self-Led Pilgrimage
Becoming a pilgrim does not have to mean flying to the Holy Land or to Rome nor does it have to mean walking for weeks across Spain. Pilgrimage is one of the Church’s oldest prayer practices, and we have the opportunity each and every day to set out on the journey right in our own communities.
How to Make a Pilgrimage:
A Practical & Spiritual Handbook for Pilgrims
“Pilgrims often journey to the ends of the earth in search of holy ground, only to find that they have never walked on anything else.”
—Scott Russell Sanders, Novelist
Celebrate May by making a pilgrimage for Mary!
Mary herself was a pilgrim each and every year, walking from Nazareth to Jerusalem. We invite you to follow in her footsteps and make a pilgrimage to our Blessed Mother in the month that traditionally honors her.
Pilgrims for Mary is an opportunity to take part in one of the Catholic Church's oldest prayer traditions, walked pilgrimage, without having to take weeks or months to travel great lengths to become a pilgrim. Instead, using MCP's resources and joining the wider Catholic community, people become pilgrims wherever they are.
Do you have prayers and intentions you would like to bring to Mary? Do you have somewhere near you where you feel close to Mary? Carry those intentions in your heart as you walk to that destination, then lift them up to Mary when you get there, and you have made a pilgrimage.
Learn more about how to make a self-led pilgrimage for Mary and sign up to receive additional prayer resources and join our pilgrimage community by clicking the button below.
PILGRIMS FOR MARY
If you would prefer to make a pilgrimage for Mary in a guided group and are local to the Twin Cities, we’d love to have you join us for Walking with the Saints: A Pilgrimage for Mary, a 7-mile walking pilgrimage on May 4.
History of Pilgrims for Mary
In 2020, churches were closed around the country and the world, and many were restless without their traditional ways to pray. At the same time, many were going for long walks as their regular outings or forms of leisure were unavailable. Pilgrimage is a way to integrate the yearning for intentional prayer and the sudden increase in walking, so in May 2020, we invited people all over the world to make a pilgrimage for Mary, with the goal of reaching 300 pilgrims. Our goal was surpassed, and the following year we aimed for 500 pilgrims for Mary. Think how joyous our mother was to receive such a bountiful bouquet of prayers! Even with church doors open and access to the sacraments restored, the value of the embodied prayer offered by pilgrimage is still a gift, and we hope you’ll join us in making this springtime offering to our Mother.
