Every 25 years, as the Church celebrates a Jubilee Year, the faithful are encouraged to make a pilgrimage. We know that Christians have been making pilgrimages since at least the fourth century. It’s an ancient tradition of the Church.
What exactly is a pilgrimage?
First, a pilgrimage is a physical experience. It is a movement of the body over a considerable distance, perhaps even on foot. This journey is often physically challenging, requiring stamina and endurance.
Second, a pilgrimage has a destination. You cannot go on a pilgrimage through the woods; you have to arrive at a place of special importance. On a secular pilgrimage, this could be a sports arena or a war memorial or a celebrity’s birthplace. On a Christian pilgrimage, it may be a place mentioned in the Bible or the site of a Marian apparition or a church of particular significance.
Third, a pilgrimage is temporary. You must return home. The root of the word “pilgrim” means “foreigner” — one who is out of place. A critical part of the pilgrimage is the return journey, when the spiritual fruits of the experience are carried home. (Yes, this means that the “pilgrims” of American Thanksgiving lore, who never returned to England, bear a bit of a misnomer.)
Finally and through all of this, a pilgrimage is transformative. It changes you.
The destination, when it is finally reached, inspires and awakens new faith. The physical difficulties along the way strengthen trust and resolve. By moving out of his or her comfort zone and through a foreign land, a pilgrim learns to view life through a different lens.
The spiritual pilgrimage is a process of sanctification, of moving towards holiness.
In this Jubilee Year, the Holy Father encourages Catholics to make a pilgrimage so that we might be transformed in our faith. Our Church in her richness offers so many traditional places of great spiritual significance, particularly in Rome and the Holy Land. These are great pilgrimage sites, but not everyone has the means and ability to reach them.
You don’t have to get on a plane to make a meaningful pilgrimage. There are plenty of sites closer to home.
Archbishop Shelton Fabre has designated six churches within the Archdiocese of Louisville as official pilgrimage sites for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. These include the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours in Louisville, the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, St. Helen Church in Glasgow, St. Augustine Church in Lebanon and Holy Cross Church in Loretto.
Each of these has historical significance and a unique role in the story of this local Church. Many of us become entrenched in our parishes and fail to appreciate the diversity of this archdiocese. Now is a great time to visit a church you have never been to before.
As you make your big plans for this new year, I encourage you to schedule a Jubilee pilgrimage. Travel to a place unknown. Renew your faith. Return home forever changed.
