500 Pilgrims for Mary
Pictures submitted by pilgrims this year
"Each year his [Jesus'] parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover..." (Luke 2:41)
Mary herself was a pilgrim each and every year, walking from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Surely, we can take some time during the month dedicated to her honor to walk with and for her. Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve our goal of 500 pilgrims for Mary!
What is it?
It is an opportunity to take part in one of the Catholic Church's oldest prayer traditions, walked pilgrimage, without having to take weeks or months to travel great lengths to become a pilgrim. Instead, using MCP's resources and joining the wider Catholic community, people became pilgrims wherever they are.
Building on the success of last year's 300 Pilgrimages for Mary, which saw 349 pilgrimages get made across 80+ cities, 35 states, and 6 countries, MCP hosted 500 Pilgrims for Mary this year to get hundreds of pilgrims on the road across the U.S. and beyond to honor Mary throughout her month of May.
How do I make a pilgrimage for Mary?
Many of us have never made a pilgrimage and hearing the word can conjure up images of medieval knights, faraway places, and a need for a lot of theological knowledge. In reality, a pilgrimage is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of prayer the Catholic faith has to offer. Do you have prayers and intentions you would like to bring to Mary? Do you have somewhere near you where you feel close to Mary? Carry those intentions in your heart as you walk to that destination, then lift them up to Mary when you get there, and you have made a pilgrimage.
This year, we had pilgrims walk to local parishes, shrines, and cathedrals. We also had pilgrims walk into their backyards, out to scenic spots near their homes, and elsewhere. If you choose a specific place to walk to in order to lift prayers and intentions to Mary, then you are a pilgrim, and it doesn't matter if you're in Rome, Italy or Rome, Indiana, or anywhere else.
A digital copy of the companion booklet and a growing number of videos are available below the pilgrim counter and map.
Why the name change from last year?
The name of our organization is Modern Catholic Pilgrim, not Modern Catholic Pilgrimage. In reviewing last year's project and preparing for this year's, we determined it best to honor our focus on each individual pilgrim's experience by making the name change. It is our hope to annually increase the goal for number of pilgrims to the point where we are seeking hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to walk for Our Lady during May. If you missed out this year, get ready for 2022!
Pilgrims for Mary
502
Resources:
Never made a walked pilgrimage before, or want to dive deeper than you have before? Use our pilgrimage guide tailored to walking for Mary in addition to watching the videos below. More general pilgrimage resources are on the "Resources" page.
Pictures of Mary submitted by pilgrims