What is a pilgrimage? Many people may think of a pilgrimage as a journey to some celebrity destination. But for most Catholics, a pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred site as a way to express devotion to God and to their faith. And for Catholics, a pilgrimage can solve many personal issues: feeling closer to God; making penance for some personal sin; being grateful for one’s faith; and finding a unique way to live one’s faith. In fact, a pilgrimage is important in all world religions and is considered by most as a way to strengthen one’s spirituality.
As Pope Benedict once spoke about a Catholic pilgrimage,
To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendor and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.
A search on the internet turns up countless universal pilgrimage destinations, but one particular site ranks either second or third—depending on the source— for Catholics as one of the most inspiring trips: Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James. The Way of Saint James the Great was established in the beginning of the 9th century after the discovery of his relics. In 1492, after the end of the Granada War, Pope Alexander VI declared that the Camino de Santiago would always be one of the “three great pilgrimages of Christianity.”
In 1987, the Camino included several routes in Spain, France, and Portugal, and it was declared the first “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. Since 2013, more than 200,000 pilgrims each year traverse the Camino, with observers noting that the annual growth rate of pilgrims rises above 10 percent. Many pilgrims may come from nearby destinations, making them walk for several days to reach the site, and those coming on the French Way walk. There are several routes leading to the shrine of the apostle James located in the Cathedral of Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Pilgrims can select their route and time of departure, but probably the most comprehensive way to take the pilgrimage is to work with a pilgrimage agency. Among these available is a devoutly Catholic group called Verso Ministries in Indiana. Founded by John Paul Lichon who had taken college youth to World Youth Day, he had the urge to share God with everyone. As is stated on the company’s Facebook page, “A Catholic Pilgrimage ministry dedicated to seeking to encounter God in sacred destinations around the world.”
According to Joan Watson, pilgrim formation manager for Verso Ministries, she explained that the company takes pilgrimages everywhere. “We go everywhere,” she said, “including Rome, Fatima, the Holy Land, and Mexico,” adding Lourdes, South Korea, Hawaii, Italy, Ireland, and Canada. “ One thing we do well,” she added, “is our formation. We ensure that people are going on pilgrimage equipped with spiritual formation so it can be an encounter with Christ…. We believe our mission begins when people sign up.””
For the upcoming year, she noted that the company is taking a pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, she said, and on those trips, the company asks a priest to attend as well. Take a look at their website, https://versoministries.com/about/ and check out their link to the upcoming pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago.
