When you tell someone that you are going on vacation as a tourist, they will probably ask you where and with whom. Tell them instead that you are a pilgrim, and the response will be different. A pilgrim? Images of capotains and Bibles spring to mind. A modern pilgrim is less easy to identify.

On the surface, pilgrims have much in common with tourists, who far outnumber them. The tourist is excited by the prospect of venturing into unknown territory, where the aim is to see and experience new sights, sounds and smells. If you ask a tourist about their vacation, they usually begin with, “I saw…”

Pilgrims, on the other hand, are different. While a pilgrim may travel with the intention of experiencing the new and unknown, they do so with the expectation that they will meet God along the way. A pilgrimage is a journey of faith. Away from the familiar surroundings of home, the pilgrim willingly places him or herself in a place of uncertainty and vulnerability. These are often the conditions for growth and discovery.

Pilgrims traveling together are like mobile churches. The people of God - a worshiping community - band together and set out on an adventure. In ancient days, pilgrims traveled to holy places in order to see or touch the relic of a saint. Such contact could result in a miracle. Other destinations were holy wells, such as those at Walsingham or Lourdes. Drinking spring water from these holy wells could effect miraculous cures.

I have been on a number of pilgrimages, mostly within the British Isles. I learned the secrets of leading pilgrimages from two parish priests whose churches I attended. The first is to encourage pilgrims to think about God and their relationship to one another. Most of the experiences of pilgrimage are shared ones. The Holy Spirit can work within the life of an individual and at the same time bestow a collective blessing on a group.

The second secret is to socialize as well as pray. In Britain, that means a trip to the tea shop or to the pub. In the evening, when the day’s worship is done, there is nothing more relaxing than to sit down with a pint of bitter or a glass of wine and recall the day’s events in the company of fellow pilgrims.

One of the benefits of pilgrimage is a deepening of one’s faith. This usually happens when pilgrims are encouraged to approach their religious life in a more devotional manner. That is, to focus more on God than on oneself. The real miracle is the spiritual awakening that can take place in a soul turned toward God. 

Of course, the enemy to devotion is our western education, where we feel the need to explain everything. Sometimes you have to trust that the changes taking place at a deeper level can be beneficial without being entirely explicable. The heart warmed by devotion can be a blessing not only to oneself but to the whole community. In the spiritual life, the humblest earth will yield the greatest harvest.

I should add that the journey matters as much, if not more so, than the destination. I recall leading one group from Luton to Walsingham. We drove up in cars; there were four in mine. En route, the car’s brakes started to fail and we limped into a garage for repairs. It was late in the day and we were still an hour’s drive from our destination. Most of the mechanics had gone home early for the bank holiday weekend. There was one mechanic left, who was about to leave. However, when he heard of our plight, and of our destination, he put off leaving in order to fix our car. 

I always remember that act of kindness. Our diversion was not planned, but an example of how God stayed with us on our journey and blessed us through the actions of a stranger. Eventually, we reached our destination, with a story to tell. In the waiting for the repairs, there was time for each of us to get to know one another better.

Next month my wife and I will be leading a new pilgrimage to England, beginning at York and reaching as far as Newcastle and Holy Island (Lindisfarne). In one sense, I realize that the pilgrimage has already begun, because in my mind I am already thinking about it and what it will be like. 

I don’t think we will see any relics, but miracles will occur in other ways. The echoes of past pilgrimages travel with me today, and I am grateful for the many and unexpected ways in which I have been blessed by them.

Father David