“Consider your soul as being on a pilgrimage. You are not in your own country, but on a journey. And what does it matter if you suffer some discomfort, since you are only traveling for a day?” – St. Teresa of Avila
What Is a Catholic Pilgrimage?
Father John Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary provides a good definition:
“A journey to a sacred place undertaken as an act of religious devotion. Its purpose may be simply to venerate a certain saint or ask some spiritual favor; beg for a physical cure or perform an act of penance; express thanks or fulfill a promise.”
Father Hardon goes on to state that from the earliest days of the Catholic Church, pilgrimages were made to the Holy Land and then later also to Rome, where Saints Peter and Paul (as well as many other Christians) were martyred. In the 8th century, pilgrimages began to be imposed on penitents instead of public penance. Father Hardon then adds:
“As a result, during the Middle Ages pilgrimages were organized on a grand scale and became the object of special Church legislation. In modern times, besides Rome and the Holy Land, famous shrines such as Lourdes, Fátima, and Guadalupe draw thousands of pilgrims each year from the Catholic world.”
One of the most celebrated of pilgrimages is the Camino of St. James in Spain (Santiago de Compostela), which can last several weeks. Other times, a pilgrimage can take the form of flying to Lourdes, Fatima, Rome, or the Holy Land. But these are not the only forms a pilgrimage can take.
This year – 2025 – is a Jubilee Year. Many Catholics are making a pilgrimage to Rome to gain the special indulgence associated with this tradition (read more here). Yet Holy Mother Church has extended her special jubilee indulgences to many other sacred sites.
The Ultimate Marian Pilgrimage
Father Gruner frequently led pilgrims to Fatima, Portugal. This year, to honor his memory on the 10th anniversary of his passing, The Fatima Center organized “The Ultimate Marian Pilgrimage” which followed in the footsteps of one of Father Gruner’s most memorable pilgrimages.
The pilgrims began by visiting the site of Our Lady’s appearance to Catherine Laboure at the Rue du Bac in Paris and requesting the spread and use of the Miraculous Medal (1830). Next, they visited the celebrated grotto and shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes where Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous and revealed Herself as the Immaculate Conception (1858). The healing spring waters at Lourdes and daily Eucharistic processions have led to more scientifically documented and verified miracles than any other holy site. The pilgrims concluded their journey in Portugal where they visited Fatima and numerous other sites of Catholic importance.
Today some Catholic pilgrimages can become mere “Catholic tourism” or “vacations with a religious flair. They usually lack the hardships which were originally part and parcel of all pilgrimages. Consequently, they can easily lose their spiritual focus: the silence of solitude, the need for penance, the primacy of prayer, and the emphasis on elevating the mind and heart to God. For this reason, modern pilgrimages are greatly edified by incorporating a set schedule of prayer and an accompanying priest. The priest can serve as a spiritual guide, offer Masses, hear confessions, lead prayers, inspire penances, and deliver spiritual conferences. The Fatima Center’s group of pilgrims was led by Father Karl Stehlin, a renowned expert on the Message of Fatima and Mariology in general.
Can I Make a Pilgrimage in the Americas?
Travelling to any sacred site can be the basis of going “on pilgrimage” and provides an opportunity for renewal and spiritual healing. Regrettably, an overseas pilgrimage can carry a hefty price tag and many Catholics who desire to make such a spiritual journey simply can’t afford the cost.
As devotees of Our Lady of Fatima, we can and should honor Our Lady by making pilgrimages even in the United States, Canada, or Mexico Although many of the most well-known pilgrimage sites require extensive travel, the following list contains some that are closer to home.
The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C., is the largest church in the United States and one of the ten largest in the world. The Basilica is the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under Her title of the Immaculate Conception. (Note: On May 13, 1846, the United States bishops unanimously chose the Immaculate Conception as the patroness of this country. The decision was approved by Pope Pius IX the following year and published in a decree on July 2, 1847.) This basilica has been designated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a National Sanctuary of Prayer and Pilgrimage.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, in Carey, Ohio, is a place of quiet which enhances the pilgrims’ ability to pray and pay homage to the Blessed Mother. Across the street from the Basilica stands the original shrine church. Construction on this, the first church in Carey, began in 1868. When construction was slow, the local priest asked parishioners to pray to Our Lady of Consolation. When the new church was completed and ready to be dedicated, a statue of Our Lady was carried in procession for seven miles. As parishioners walked, a storm came up and the rain fell all around them, but the statue and pilgrims remained dry.
The Central Miraculous Medal Shrine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was built in Philadelphia in 1879. The Association of the Miraculous Medal in the U.S. was founded in Philadelphia in 1915 by Rev. Joseph Skelly, C.M. The Central Shrine in Philadelphia has nine services every Monday.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, Missouri, an organization similar to the Central Shrine, was formed in 1917. Both shrines are dedicated to prayer and help for all who come to them.
Shrine of St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes, Albuquerque, New Mexico, includes a bronze replica of the saint’s incorrupt body and a replica of the shrine in Lourdes where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette 18 times. The Shrine includes a font with holy water from Lourdes. The Church and gift shop offer inspiring works of art.
Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, Florida, is the first shrine dedicated to Our Blessed Mother in the United States. The history of the devotion to the Mother of Jesus as Our Lady of La Leche (“the milk”) has roots in a 4th-century grotto in Bethlehem. To this day the Franciscan community maintains a shrine there called the Milk Grotto. Its centerpiece is the Blessed Virgin nursing the infant Jesus. Devotion spread in Spain when a nobleman’s wife was expected to die during childbirth. Her prayers to Our Lady were answered.
Grotto of Our Lady of Sorrows in Portland, Oregon, is a 62-acre shrine and botanical garden. Work on the shrine began in September 1923. A cave was carved out of the 110-foot basalt cliffside, and a stone altar built. The shrine contains a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà. This grotto, administered by the Order of Friars Servants of Mary, received a special Apostolic Blessing from Pope Pius XI.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois, began humbly in 1987 when Mr. Joaquín Martínez brought a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the Basilica in Mexico to Chicago. He and a group called “Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe” initiated a mission, sending the statue on a pilgrimage to various parishes and homes to foster devotion. On December 12, 1995, the construction of an outdoor shrine, modeled after the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico City, began. Known as “El Cerrito,” it became the central place for veneration. On January 1, 2013, Cardinal Francis George officially established the site as the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, appointing Rev. Marco Mercado as its first Rector. By then, it had become the most visited shrine in the U.S. dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, second only to the Basilica in Mexico.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mexico, was constructed on the site of an earlier 16th-century church that was finished in 1709. When this basilica became dangerous due to the sinking of its foundations, a modern structure called the New Basilica was built next to it; the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is now housed here. The site includes various chapels where 30 Masses are offered every day of the year.
Yet, there are many other privileged sites, for example: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, near Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the site of the only canonically approved Marian apparition in the United States. She appeared there in 1859 and emphasized teaching children the catechism well.
There is a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima near Niagara Falls (Lewiston, NY), which features over one-hundred marble life-sized statues of saints. And St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh has the largest collection of relics in the world outside of the Vatican.
Two of the most famous shrines in Canada are the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebéc and St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal in Montreal.
Share Your Pilgrimage
There are shrines, grottos, and special cathedrals all around the world. For a more extensive list, see the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on pilgrimages.
Yet many of these religious pilgrimage sites are local and less well known. Please share sites you have visited, or know of, below in the comment section. It may inspire a fellow Catholic to make a pilgrimage and gain graces!
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Indulgences and Prayers for Pilgrims
Journeying to holy places has great value for the entire Church. Therefore, the Catholic Church offers special blessings for pilgrims, special prayers, and in many cases, it is possible to gain a Plenary Indulgence. The Introduction from the Book of Blessings states:
“Whether in a traditional or a modern form, a pilgrimage to a holy place, to the tomb of a saint, or to a shrine should be regarded as having pastoral value. Pilgrimages are occasions for conversion, spiritual growth, and the advance of the apostolate. The proper, that is, spiritual, character of the Christian pilgrimage must be carefully explained and inculcated ahead of time, so that the pilgrims will truly be ‘traveling heralds of Christ’ and will experience fully the good effects of their pilgrimage. For such pastoral purposes it will often be useful to arrange a special celebration for the blessing of the pilgrims at their departure or on their return. When, instead, the celebration of Mass, the liturgy of the hours, or some other liturgical service is preferred as the beginning or end of a pilgrimage, the celebration may be concluded with a blessing of the pilgrims….”
Pilgrimages to a cathedral, the Holy Land, Rome, or other sacred sites as designated by the Church, may gain for the pilgrim a plenary Indulgence (i.e., complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin) when certain conditions are met, as the Book of Blessings adds:
“These include attending Mass, participation in pious exercises such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, recitation of the Akathistos Hymn[1] in honor of the Mother of God, Eucharistic Adoration or other pious meditation ending with the Our Father, a profession of faith and prayer to the Blessed Mother. Conditions for receiving the indulgence also includes a recent Confession, prayers for the intentions of the Pope and detachment from sin (i.e. the usual conditions).”
Prayer for Pilgrimages or Any Journey
We should look up shrines and relics in our own area. Many people are shocked to learn of the large number of shrines and relics in their own area which can be sources of pilgrimages. There is nothing formal needed to make a pilgrimage. Everyone should make time for this and go on pilgrimage with family, friends, or even solo.
Honor Our Lady and the saints who are before the throne of God and who can intercede for us. And to this end, before you go to visit one of the shrines mentioned here, or another one in your area, pray the Itinerarium prayer from the Breviary.
ENDNOTE
[1] A type of hymn usually recited by Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics, dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity.