Catholic Pilgrimages

What is a pilgrimage? Most people define a pilgrimage as a spiritual journey to a sacred place or shrine as an act of devotion to God. For Catholics, a pilgrimage takes the traveler to a holy site or Christian historical sites to encounter and to pray to God. 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.

As Teresa Tomeo, a renowned Catholic pilgrimage leader, summarizes pilgrimages,

“Technically, in terms of a definition, a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred/holy place; and is undertaken to grow stronger in one’s faith,” she said.  “A pilgrimage can be any length of time depending on how many locations or holy places are included but most pilgrimages that my husband, Deacon Dominick, and I lead in Italy are eight to ten days.”

Who is Teresa Tomeo? This Italian Catholic has led a weekday morning program, Catholic Connection, to discuss social issues and has co-hosted The Catholic View for Women, a weekly EWTN series. But perhaps she is best known for being a pilgrimage leader throughout various areas of Italy and has led more than 60 trips. Since she is also Italian, she finds that traveling to Italy is much like coming home to her Catholic country.

She launched this pilgrimage business more than 20 years ago and in 2019, she launched her Italy coaching business called T’s Italy, www.travelitalyexpert.com,  Because of an invitation to lead a pilgrimage to Italy, she noted,

My husband and I were invited to lead our first pilgrimage to Italy in 2002,” she said, “when I began working at Ave Maria Radio and EWTN, through my now very good friend and business associate, John Hale of Corporate Travel Service. And we immediately knew we wanted to dedicate a good portion of our ministry to the pilgrimage experience.  We truly rediscovered our faith and grew so much closer to God and each other as we visited these amazing locations and wanted to help others do the same.

As Teresa Tomeo explained—and in her upcoming book Italy’s Shrines and Wonders being released in January from EWTN publishing, —the most popular pilgrimage destinations include Rome, Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Loretto, San Giovanni Rotundo, and Venice.

“In addition to these destinations,” she noted, “we can’t forget the cities or towns known for their Eucharistic miracles.  In addition to Orvieto, Lanciano is also very popular.  But there are really countless places in Italy that are growing in popularity among Catholic pilgrims and these and other locations are expected to be even busier than they have now come the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025.”

For pilgrims seeking a location that will deal a spiritual impact, Teresa Tomeo noted that all the sites she has noted deliver a spiritual message. As she added,

However, it is not just the significance of the churches, the relics of the saints, the miracles, etc.  it is also the natural beauty of Italy that is the basis for spiritual inspiration.  In my book we feature several “Pilgrims’ Perspectives” and each testimony is different.  Some are inspired by the incredible structures. Others have profound moments with God while watching the sunset over the rolling hills of Umbria or Tuscany. God is everywhere, especially in a country as incredible as Italy.

Not surprisingly, this devout Catholic has found that pilgrimages can impact one’s spiritual life, and she recounted one that really made a spiritual mark for her.

Just recently we were the pilgrimage leaders for a group of 50 people from all over the USA and it was a true gift and the Lord showed up big time with at least 3 people pulling us aside to share that they were coming back to the faith. This pilgrimage included the Amalfi Coast and Puglia, two regions that are filled with sacred spaces and fascinating places.

But perhaps her upcoming trip in October 2025 may make another spiritual impact. “We’re excited about our next Italy pilgrimage which will take place in October of 2025 focusing on celebrating marriage with the saints,” she said.

This will be even more personal for us as we have decided to open our Italy home to host the pilgrims, God willing, for a special Italian-style  reception and share our Italy story. And we still have room for those who might be interested in this pilgrimage and tour which will include Rome as well. The pilgrimage is La Dolce Fede/The Sweet Life of Faith Pilgrimage.  (Living La Dolce Fede: Celebrating Marriage with the Saints of Umbria)

To prepare for the Jubilee Year, an upcoming pilgrimage, or to learn more about the amazing country of Italy, Teresa Tomeo recommends her new book, Italy’s Shrines and Wonders.

Everyone loves Italy,” she said. “And the book is filled with 400-plus pages detailing attractions, insider tips, recipes, celebrations, and testimonies from men and women whose visit to Italy had a profound impact on their faith,” she explained. “Whether it’s discovering an off-the-beaten path destination in the Umbrian hills, or deciding how many tours to choose, or which time of year to visit, it’s in there; invaluable advice for the trip of a lifetime.