CV NEWS FEED // The founder of a Catholic nonprofit rooted in biblical hospitality recently shared four steps that the faithful can take to enhance their pilgrimage experience during Jubilee Year 2025, primarily by prayerfully visiting local churches that dioceses have designated as pilgrimage sites.
Participating in a regional pilgrimage is “a chance to engage with the sacred locally,” Will Peterson, founder of the Modern Catholic Pilgrim, told the Catholic Standard in a March 21 article.
The Modern Catholic Pilgrim is a nonprofit organization that aims to transform society through biblical hospitality and geographic pilgrimage.
The first of the four steps Peterson recommended for those planning a pilgrimage is to carefully discern their destination.
“To be a pilgrim is to know where you’re going and what your intentions are … I would invite potential pilgrims to discern ‘where do I feel called?’ Is it the cathedral? Is it a local shrine? … and why?” Peterson said in the article for the Archdiocese of Washington’s news outlet.
Second, he encouraged them to set an intention for the pilgrimage, noting that the pilgrimage site itself may inspire specific intentions.
Third, Peterson encouraged Catholics simply to pray. He recommended pilgrims to write their prayers down and bring them on their journey, adding that children could draw their intentions to feel more involved as well. For those wanting to connect even more with the Church, he encouraged asking others for intentions they can carry with them on the pilgrimage.
Peterson also encouraged the faithful to receive the sacrament of reconciliation or attend Mass following their journey, highlighting the importance of offering up one’s intentions, especially as a family.
Fourth, the route one takes could itself be a means for preparing spiritually for arriving at the pilgrimage site. For example, including some walking in the journey to the site, Peterson noted, reinforces the idea that a church is a sacred place and may even transform how a family perceives the Mass.
“I think [walking is] going to change how your family experiences the Sunday Mass,” Peterson told the Catholic Standard. “It’s going to become a bit more of, ‘Oh yeah, this is sacred ground.’”
The post Founder of Modern Catholic Pilgrim offers 4 ways to enhance local pilgrimages during Jubilee Year 2025 appeared first on CatholicVote org.