#assisi

Even though life has been in the way of updating this blog, that does not mean my thoughts have stopped…nor my experiences as a pilgrim.

My pilgrimage to Assisi, Rome, and Krakow has seemed to have left an indelible mark on my spirit. During my travels, I visited new places and returned to old. I met new people and saw familiar faces in a different light. I tried new things and engaged in the same routine with a renewed vision. I walked through doors of Mercy that have been opened to pilgrims for hundreds of years, strolled down roads in the home town of saints, and stood in silence before the Gates of Hell.  I visited the home town of a beloved pope and listened to the wisdom of another. I found joy in difficult moments and saw hope flourish from the ashes of hate. 

My suitcase didn’t come back heavier with souvenirs. I couldn’t seem to stop for a moment to go shopping because I wanted to experience every movement to it’s fullest. I did end up bringing back with me two things: Mercy and Trust. 

As it was the Year of Mercy, this is a no brainer.  The Divine Mercy Chaplet was said throughout the pilgrimage, we walked the pilgrimage walk of Mercy in Rome, and in every reflection we heard from the Pope, a Cardinal, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or Lay Person Mercy was in their words.  We were in the chapel where Christ asked us to pray for Divine Mercy and received Mercy through the sacrament of Reconciliation in its shadow.  

In the Field of Mercy pilgrims could receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. In the background is the Shrine of Divine Mercy built next to the small chapel (green roof) where St. Faustina received Jesus’ message to give the Divine Mercy Image to the world along with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. 

Trust was another gift that was given. On pilgrimage, you often have to rely on the goodness and kindness of others. You have to trust others to lead you where you need to go or trust that you can find your own way. You have to trust that you can figure out problems when they arise. You have to trust that you will be able to walk when you feel like your feet cannot carry you any further. The phrase “Jesus, I trust in You,” echoed in my heart with every step I took. When I faltered and failed to trust, those words came back and I literally saw the light (true story: I was looking for a candle during the evening vigil in Campus Misericordiae and started to panic with the thought that I wasn’t going to take part in this important moment. I left my group and found found where they were distributing the candles. Relieved, I came back to my group, only to find that they already received candles. Should have trusted…).  

Me waking up in Campus Misericordae along with a million of my closest friends. 

So why am I writing this now? I’ve been back for six months. Why now?

My beloved country is on the eve of a tradition that has taken place 44 times in its history: the peaceful transition of power from one president to another. There are strong opinions and thoughts on both sides. Celebration and fear. Hope and despair. Optimism and pessimism.  Activism and apathy. Civility and bullying. Pulling each other up while some push others down. We’ve seem to be a country of extremes. 

While I am not happy with the results of the election, as we were reminded while watching “Sherlock” on PBS, “It is what it is.” We can’t change the results of the election. We just can’t. But we can change how we respond. 

My prayer for the United States of America is three fold: One for Mercy, One for Trust, and one for Unity.

Prayer for Mercy: Mercy, as I have come to understand it, is the loving compassion we can show another person, even if we feel like they don’t deserve it. Giving and showing Mercy is one of the strongest things anyone can do. This election cycle has challenged me in this aspect. I am not a fan of the man that was elected president. His words and deeds have hurt me, have marginalized others, and have been against my values (especially on the topics of giving dignity to each human life). And yet I am called to love him as a child of God. I am called to give him Mercy. That does not mean staying silent when his actions will end up hurting others or go against the values of Catholic Social Teaching. It is the duty of every citizen to speak up for the marginalized and give voice to the voiceless.  But we must do it with Mercy. We must speak about our neighbors with compassion and understanding. We must continue to give and be love even if we don’t agree. At the end of the day, our next president is just a human man, with faults and, though this is an assumption, a sad, lonely life. And our neighbors who we disagree with want to find their place in the world as much as we do. Name calling and spewing hate will not win battles. It will only deepen the wound. As St. Faustina wrote, “Be always Merciful.” 

Prayer for Trust: There’s a lot of apprehension and uncertainty within many of my fellow citizens, myself included. Change is scary especially if we didn’t want the kind of change we are receiving. If we are to look to someone’s past as a predictor of what they might do in the future…well, we might have the right to be nervous. Those who depend on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance are right to be concerned that they may loose it. Those who depend on the DREAM act to receive dignity as a worker have a right to be anxious. There is a lot to be uncertain of and we have the duty, the obligation to take action if our neighbor’s dignity is under threat. Even through all of this, we are called to trust. “Jesus, I trust in You,” the saying at the feet of Jesus in the Divine Mercy image, isn’t there because it makes a pretty border.  It’s there because that’s what Christ is asking us to do: trust in Him. Through that trust, mercy can flow. Through that trust, our hearts open to loving others more purely. Through that trust, we find solace and comfort. It’s like when Jesus called Peter to walk out of the boat and into the storm. Peter initially thought that the safest place was where he was standing, on the wooden floor of the boat. When he gave in and allowed himself to fully trust in Jesus he was able to walk out into the raging water and clearly see the face of Christ. We might be walking into a storm of uncertainty and despair right now, but when we trust in God…oh the wonders that we can achieve! Imagine a world of love and forgiveness and mercy. When we open ourselves and listen to what God is calling us to do and to be, we can make something beautiful together!

Prayer for Unity: We can’t do anything alone. That might need to be America’s mantra for the next few years. I can’t do anything alone. When I push people away, I miss out on the opportunity to learn from someone else, even if it is a clearer understanding of what we disagree on. I can’t do my job without interacting with others. I can’t go to the grocery story without realizing that the food I am buying was placed on the shelf by a person, and before that, was packaged by a group of people, and before that was grown by human hands. Everything I own is because of interconnections of our existence. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:  “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be… This is the inter-related structure of reality.” When my neighbor’s house is on fire, I can’t stand there and watch it burn because my house might catch fire next. In order for me to succeed, my neighbor has to succeed along with me.  On the night I was searching for a candle, Pope Francis was delivering a homily. I remember very clearly hearing Pope Francis call for us the young people of the world, to do one simple task: Build bridges made of living hands reaching out to each other. 

There is so much good in each other that we miss it when we are focusing on our differences. When we are yelling and accusing, we forget to treat the other with love and respect as God has called us to. What would happen if we challenge ourselves to work with or talk to someone whose political background is different than our own? I’m guessing the bridges of prejudice and judgement would disappear and we will instead gain a deeper appreciation for the unique, loved person that they are. We might even find that we share some of the same values. In other words…

Leslie Knope is my spirit animal. I once, unknowingly, ate at the same waffle restaurant in Washington DC as she did in “Parks and Recreation.” When I found out, I about died out of sheer happiness. 

On this inauguration day, I’m going to spend it doing what I always do: go to work, interact with a vast array of people, and help whenever I can. I’ll probably add in there a Divine Mercy Chaplet (or 3). Join me in prayer if you would like. Exercise your constitutional right to express your thoughts and opinions. Be kind to your neighbor. Be Mercy. 

Pax et Bonum 
Peace and All Goodness

Vicky

PS: I created a playlist that was inspired by this pilgrimage. Enjoy!

It’s been a whirl wind last few days. I’ve felt like I’ve been in Italy a month and it’s only been 4 days. Here’s a list of some of the things we did:

On Friday, we landed in Rome and took a bus to Assisi. Wonderful, peaceful, prayerful Assisi. I love this town. I would live in this town if I could. Besides the medieval architecture, there’s so much history and spiritually in it. I’ve been to Assisi before, New Years of 2007/2008, and we stayed a long time there, so it felt like coming home. Our hotel was right next door to the first church and Holy Door we entered. This being the year of Mercy, you’ll hear me talk a lot about the Holy Doors that are opened only during jubilee years. They are special doors inviting everyone to become pilgrims, journeying towards a new life. This being the Year of Mercy, we are called to a deeper understanding of what it means to be merciful.

Friday night we got off the bus and walked straight to the Basilica of St, Mary of the Angels. The basilica is built over the Portiuncula, the first church St. Francis rebuilt, where St. Clare professed her vows to God and where St. Francis died. After we passed through the Portiuncula, we went straight to a side chapel where we said Mass. I was in my own little world. I was back in my favorite place ever walking in the footsteps of one of my spiritual role models. I needed a minute to collect my thoughts and prayers.

The next day we explored the main town of Assisi. We first went to St. Francis Basilica. I was in heaven. I’ve been feeling rushed with travel, but when I stepped thorough those Holy Doors, I was right back to when I first began. We went straight to the tomb of St. Francis where we said Mass. We were walking on holy ground. His tomb is simple, just a rock column surrounded by some of his closest friends. Popes and Saints have visited him. Other religious leaders from different faiths have visited him. The poor have visited him. We are walking in those shoes. I was blessed to be able to be the lector at that mass. To do so, you have to stand very close to the tomb. I felt like the Little Brother was right there with his hand on my shoulder as if to give me the courage to proclaim the readings. I sat down and had to take a moment. When mass was done we went to the upper chapel and explored the wonderful frescos. One of my favorite artists is Giotto, who happened to be the artist who did most of the paintings.

After the Basilica, we went to see the Basilica of St. Clare down the road. Assisi is a very small town And you can easily walk from one side of the town to the other in little time. Walking through the streets, memories flowed thorough me. I saw the main Piazza where I once celebrated New Years with the locals. I passed the little toy shop I on earth browsed through. I saw the church of St. Francis’ parents. I love that city. St. Clare’s is a more simple church, but in its simplicity you can get to the heart if Clare’s calling: prayer. We first knelt in front of the original San Damiano crucifix, one that is said to have spoken to St. Francis to go “rebuild my church.” The prayer before the crucifix was written in front of that cross. Throughout Assisi I found myself weeping silently before these holy images and saints. We’re called to imitate them as they imitate Christ. I wondered if I was living up to my calling. Side note: in that chapel I lit a candle for the San Damiano Scholars from my alma matter, Marian University in Indianapolis. It was that program that helped form me into the lay leader I am today and I wouldn’t be where I am without my Marian family. We then moved to the tomb of St. Clare, whose body is on display. Around her tomb are images of her life. There’s a small kneeler in front of the room her body lies in and you can see her body through a glass window. When I was praying, a nun came in the room Clare lies in and started cleaning the room, making sure it looks nice. I loved that image even after hundreds of years, her sisters are still taking care of her.

Assisi is a city where I will always leave a piece of my heart.

We then left Assisi for Rome! First stop was St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. I’ve been to Rome before but never there. We walked through the Holy Door (number 3) and walked around inside. Benedictines were saying vespers, filling the large church with the ancient prayers of the Church. The custodian of the Basilica is an American Cardinal who is a friend of Bishop Don’s. Sadly he was not home to give us a tour.

We the did a driving tour of the city, seeing many of the sites like the colosseum, circus Maximus, and so many others. (So many that I can’t remember). We came back to the hotel and had a huge dinner (well, huge to us, it was a traditional meal for the Italians: 4 courses). The I went to bed.

The next day was jam packed with so much stuff.

Sunday started with us going to St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. We took the pilgrim walk down the way of Mercy, a special path just for pilgrims who wish to make the prayerful journey through the Holy Door st St. Peter’s. Our group carried a cross and we sang songs and said prayers along the way. To me it felt like we were part of an ancient tradition, joining the long list of pilgrims who had walked through those holy doors. Inside we also were able to take a special path up the central isle to get close to St. Peter. We then had some free time to look around. I walked around and observed the workings of the Church. Sunday liturgy was going on at the upper altar and a side chapel. People were praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The sacrament of Reconciliation was being heard in multiple languages. We even saw a baptism of a small baby. I kept thinking, “this is our faith. This is the faith of the Church.” The Church isn’t something old and decaying, but living and thriving. Made up of living stones. It was a beautiful moment. Some people I was with decided that it would be a good idea to climb to the very top of the dome of St. Peter’s. It was a crazy climb but the view from the top was incredible. During part of the climb you actually walk inside St. Peter’s and can look down at the people below. We were able to see he moment of consecration during the main Mass. We then rushed down the stairs and outside just in time to hear Pope Francis’ Angelus address. Yes! We saw the pope! He was in his library window. He mentioned that there were some pilgrims for World Youth Day present and then he said “I will see you in Kraków!” That made my day.

We had lunch and rushed to two more major basilicas: St John Lateran and St. Mary Major. St. John Lateran is where St. Francis went to present his rule to the pope. I thought it was fitting that there was a group of Franciscans there on a tour. St. Mary Major was the first church dedicated to Mary. We celebrated Mass in the magnificent Borghese chapel, where Pope Francis goes to pray before his trips.

We then were able to go on a walking tour (thanks Kevin!) of the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (under construction- no stepping tonight), Piazza Novona, and the Pantheon. We ate pizza at Angi’s favorite pizza place and had gelato under the Pantheon. It was wonderful.

Today, Monday, we said Mass at the tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s. Wow. What a great way to begin World Youth Day week! To pray before the man who started it all and is now one of its patron saints! I was at John Paul’s last WYD in Toronto, so to be there in his presence again was beautiful.

Now we just landed in KRAKÓW!!!! More later!

Pax Et Bene!

Vicky

My mind has been racing all day.  I had a lot of work at work to get done before I left that I was so focused on it I didn’t let it sink in until later that I was leaving for my pilgrimage tomorrow (well, today).  I left work at 7:30ish to go pick up some postcards I had made as a swap item and then went to Panera’s to pick up dinner.  On my way to Panera’s, I realized that this is it. 

I was at the threshold.  

On Thursday, July 21, I would depart for a journey I’ve been preparing for for 3 years.  I ordered my food, sat down, and texted my best friend, “I’m sitting at Panera on the verge of tears (both from exhaustion from a long day, but also because it’s finally here).”  I got my food, went back to my car, and the tears started coming.  I’m not sure why, but I had this overwhelming feeling of joy and wonder.  

If I think I was ever called to be anything in my life, it is to be a pilgrim. 

To take that first step.  To see that first sight.  To meet that first person.  I can’t wait.  

First stop, Chicago, and then off to Berlin to catch a flight to Rome and then a bus to Assisi.  

Follow along with me here, as well as on facebook,twitter, and Instagram.  Heck, I might even do this whole snapchat thing (add me: mynameis_vicky )

Last time I was in Assisi, I took a picture of this walkway.  St. Clare walked on this path to the Portiuncula, the first church St. Francis rebuilt.  There, Clare renounced her secular life, cut off her hair and in turn her family times, and declared that she wanted to live for God and serve God’s people.  

Just kidding! Don’t bring lemon juice (unless you pack it in your checked luggage.  That little lemon juice would not adhere to TSA’s 3-1-1 rule.)

When thinking about packing toiletries, you need to sort out what you want to pack in your checked luggage and what you want in your carry on.  In your checked bag, you can put have any size liquid.  Want to take that huge bottle of shampoo with you to Italy? You can if you want.  In your carry on, you have to follow the 3-1-1 rule:  Each passenger is allowed in their carry on 1 clear, 1 quart bag for any liquids, jells, or pastes, as long as it is in a container 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less.  

I’m going to show you how I packed enough toiletries for a week in my 30L pack I used for a carry on.  Then I’ll create a list of tips and resources below to help you pack.  

Two notes before I go on.  The first is that I packed what I needed.  Everyone’s needs are different so if you need to bring something specific, as the kids would say: you do you.  The second note is that I’m preparing to pack for a pilgrimage.  While for work I may need to take an hour to get ready and create a 10 step make up routine, for a pilgrimage, my mindset is different.  I’m going for simple, not extravagant.  OK… here we go.

Here’s the bags/loose items I took with me on my last trip:

Let’s go with the non-liquids bag first.

I got this makeup bag a few years ago from H&M.  It’s about 7 inches by 5 inches and has two compartments (one main and one on the side.  Inside looked like this:

I had with me:

-eye lash curler
-travel toothbrush
-bobby pins
-small comb
-makeup brushes (one fluffy, one eyeliner)
-clear lip liner
-travel size eyeliner
-simple, neutral eye pallet (Naked Basics from Urban Decay, but I could have gone with a smaller thing of eye shadow)
-travel hairbrush that folds up and has a mirror in it
-travel kabuki brush (that silver tube.  Guys, it’s for your foundation makeup)
-lots of hair ties
-tinted chapstick

This is my usual travel makeup bag, and I didn’t take anything out of it when I packed for Washington.  I did add the toothbrush and travel hair brush.  After looking at this picture I realized that there were a few things I didn’t use and probably will not take on the next trip.  I did not use the travel kabuki brush (I just used my fingers for my foundation), the clear lip liner (I’m a lip stick lover, but I didn’t even bring one on the trip so why I would need a lip liner is beyond me), and the travel eyeliner (I did use the black eye shadow in the pallet for eyeliner, so eyeliner was redundant).  

My quart size liquid bag looked like this:

I ordered this bag from Flight 001, a travel accessory store.  It’s 5x7x2, and is structured.  More like a box.  That’s why I liked it, but a quart size bag would work as well.  Whatever floats your boat.  

Inside, the bag held all of this:

In this bag, I had with me (I’ll try to go by rows, left to right):

-a contact lens case holding my BB cream (tinted moisture)
-eye drops
-hair care product (I get frizzy hair, and found that the Redken satinwear product helps)
-travel toothpaste
-travel mascara (yes, mascara is considered a liquid)
-all purpose soap (I took with me Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap.  It’s supposed to be good for all things). 
-contact solution
-spray toner (spray bottle with white cap, it’s a little luxury from home.  Smells good, refreshes skin, and can combat dry air). 
-sunscreen
-conditioner
-sea salt hair spray (spray bottle with blue cap, since I didn’t take a hair dryer, I sprayed my hair with the sea salt spray at night after my shower, twisted my hair and pinned it up before I went to bed, and awoke with wavy-ish hair.  My bangs were a different story).  
-face moisturizers (small plastic containers, one for the day with SPF, and one for night) 
-Concealer (not pictured, I had unpacked my concealer from this bag, but I also brought it with me)

Besides the eye drops, I used everything in this bag.  The best thing you can do when traveling is take either travel size products (under 3.4 oz) or decanting your products into smaller containers.  Instead of taking the large bottle of sea spray, I put it into a smaller spray bottle.  The bottles I used for the moisturizers, conditioner, and one of the spray bottles came in a set from Target, and I had the other spray bottle from something else.  I picked up another set from a church rummage sale with lots of little containers and smaller spray bottles, but you can also find them in most travel sections of Target, Walmart, Walgreens, or Amazon.  

Contact lens cases also work wonders.  I used mine for my BB cream and it worked wonders.  They are also thin, which makes them great for playing Tetris with your toiletries.   

The only other things in my pack were some loose items:

-Full size solid deodorant (if I had brought gel, spray, or roll-on, it would have had to follow the 3-1-1 rule. Solid deodorants are ok in full size.)
-an eye mask (in case I had a roommate who liked to read at night)
-ear plugs (in case I had a roommate who snored; they are in a blue, travel case)
-eye glass case (in which I also stored some cotton balls for just in case emergencies)
-eye glasses
-travel alarm clock (I got this one from Flight 001, too.  I wanted something small and ran on batteries in case my phone died).  
-EMPTY contact lens case (I am probably going to take an extra pair of contacts, which means I would have to put them in my clear quart bag).
-shampoo bar & tin (to save space in my quart bag, and because I’m obsessed with travel blogs, I invested in a shampoo bar from Lush Cosmetics. Shampoo bars are just what they say: shampoo in bar form.  They are supposed to last up to 80 washes.  I was skeptical, but  was presently surprised.  It worked well on my hair.  This particular one I have is supposed to condition your hair too, but I didn’t trust that with my hair.  The only downside is that I had to let it air dry completely before putting it back in the tin, otherwise it would stick to the bottom of the tin and be impossible to get out.) 
-Face wipes (not pictured, I did bring a travel set of face wipes/makeup remover wipes.  I used them up so I threw away the package before I left.  If you use them, but don’t want to buy travel size, you can put them in a plastic bag. You can also do this with baby wipes)

Other Travel Tips, Resources, Bits of Wisdom

-Less is More: Packing less means you have less to worry about, less to stress about, and more room to pack what you really will need (and gifts and treasures to bring home).  Only bring what you can justify bringing.  I’m not going to bring a blush because I know I wouldn’t use it much.  I’m not bringing an umbrella because I don’t know how much I would use one.  I can always buy what I need overseas.

-You can always buy what you need overseas.  Who knows?  You might find something you really like in a little shop in Poland. While browsing travel tips videos, one traveler said that it’s her family’s tradition to not pack soap, and then buy it when they get to their destination.  I love this because you are already setting yourself up for an adventure.  (Yes, buying soap can be an adventure!)

-Multipurpose items are awesome. One of the reasons I wanted to try the Dr. Bronner’s soap is that you should be able to be used in so many ways (see link).  Ladies, bring makeup (if you want) that pulls double duty (BB Cream usually has SPF in it, so use it like sunscreen, mascara applied very close to the eyelid can look like eye liner, tinted chap-stick can also, if you are daring, be used as a cream blush). 

-Rethink how you use things. Shower caps are great shoe protectors.  Contact lens cases can be used to store moisturizers.  If you see a plastic bottle and like the shape, but hate the product inside, you can always empty it out and fill it with what you want. You can cut or break items to make them smaller.  Don’t want to take a whole roll of duct tape? Repack it.

-Practice packing.  A few days before your trip, pack.  See how heavy your suitcase gets.  Pull it around the house or town.  See how easy it is to maneuver over stairs.  Do you have room for extra items?  Last time I packed to go overseas, I intentionally packed a shoe box when I first packed.  That way, I knew I was saving room for extra items.  

 -Use your technology wisely/Apps can be your best friend.  In my obsession with traveling, I’ve found some great apps that have helped me while I was packing. 

-My TSA (Apple and Android): Run by the TSA, this app helps you do two things.  The first is lets you know the latest security checkpoint wait times.  For the second, it will answer your question, “Can I bring…?” Enter anything you can think of and it will tell you if you can bring it in your checked luggage, carry on, or if it is prohibited.  Sunscreen? Has to follow the 3-1-1 rule for your carry on.  Applesauce? It’s a liquid, so it also has to follow the 3-1-1 rule.  Throwing stars (for the well traveled ninja)? In your checked baggage only.  

-SmartTraveler: Run by the US Department of State.  This is the app that goes along with Smart Traveler Enrollment Program that everyone should register with.  

-PackPoint Packing: Sponsored by Sheraton.  Plug in your destination, activities, and length of stay, and it will generate an example packing list.  Very useful as a jumping off point if you don’t know what exactly you might need. 

-XE Currency: I first started using XE Currency’s website when I was in high school and just geeking out over currency (how many India Rupees make up one US dollar? About 67.5.) I like the app because you have quick access to the current currencies you are interested in and it’s clean looking.

-My bank: I bank with Centier and the app is wonderful.  Very useful to make sure you have enough money.  (Use your own bank, of course. Most banks now have their own apps.)

And last, because I’m obsessed with travel videos…

Tortuga’s guide to minimal packing, part II.

And their video on how to pack a quart size bag.  

And because I love Rick Steves, here’s his TED talk about the value of travel.  Check out his awesome podcasts (both audio and visual).  You will want to quite your job and become a professional traveler.  

Let me know if you have any questions or need to work through packing problems.  I would love to help you find a solution.  

Happy Travels!

(one more video.  Pilgrims, we will be here!)

*I’m not sure if I need to put this, but I haven’t been paid to recommend any of these products or services I mentioned in this post.  I just really, really, really like them.  

Like I mentioned in my previous post, one of the things a person can receive while on a pilgrimage is the gift of community.  The friends and family members who send you off, the people you meet when you arrive at your destination, the kind shop keeper you turn to when you are looking for a meal, the person in front of you in a line, the choir you listen to when you attend a religious service.  They are all part of your community on pilgrimage.  

For World Youth Day, I thankfully get to experience it with a community that means a lot to me: members of the Diocese of Gary, IN.  Gary has been my home diocese forever.  Even when I was attending college in Indianapolis, I was proud to say that I belonged to the Indiana diocese next to Lake Michigan.  For those not familiar with the Diocese of Gary, founded in 1956, we are the smallest diocese in Indiana, comprising of four counties in Northwest Indiana.  In our fifty years of foundation, we’ve had four bishops and have seen the Region, as Northwest Indiana is locally called, experience joys and sorrows.  We’ve seen the growth and prosperity of the steel mills and farming communities, and then the closing of the steel mills, poverty, and racism.  The Church of Gary has attempted to help in each of those situations, attempting to address the sin of racism through reconciliation, supporting Catholic Charities, and being the largest supporter of Habitat for Humanity in the area.   

Patrons of the Diocese of Gary, the Holy Angels.  This icon is located in the Cathedral in Gary.  

If your local parish is like your immediate family, your diocese is your extended family.  At least, that’s how I feel about the good ol’ D. o. G.  I love my home parish deeply and am happy to continue to build up it’s walls.  But I also love the moments when the whole extended family gets together to celebrate.  My love story with the Diocese began when I was in high school.  I attended a diocesan retreat and my eyes were opened to the experience of a larger Catholic church.  

The following year, my sister and I signed up to go to this thing call World Youth Day in Toronto.  We went with two others from my parish and a few bus loads of pilgrims from the diocese.  It was brutal travel (9 hours on a bus while fellow passengers sang songs from Veggie Tales nonstop; It’s enough to make you want to throw the elusive hair brush they were singing about at them), rustic accommodations (sleeping on the floor of a school classroom with only a light sheet as your bed and using a shower a hose over the side of a large wooden box to bath in), and even getting some of our belongings stolen (thieves broke into where we were staying and stole some of our possessions, like cameras).  But even then, we had each other.  During one of the The catechetical sessions at the beginning of the day, Bishop Dale Melczek, now the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Gary, raffled off a medal that was given by Pope John Paul II to each of the bishops who attended that WYD as a way of trying to give back something that was taken from us.  Other members from the diocese left messages of hope and encouragement on our pillows to try to bring a smile to our faces.  We found each other walking around in a sea of strangers and smiled.  We met new people who became traveling buddies and later dear friends.  We shared pillows and tarps and pizza when we were sleeping outside during the biggest slumber party I’ve ever attended.  We hugged and rejoiced together when we saw, now Saint John Paul II pass us in the Pope mobil on his way to celebrate Mass with over a million people.  We slept on each other’s shoulders on the bus home.  

My sister, Gina (second from the left), expressing the emotion we felt after John Paul II passed us. We we not smiling because we got the picture we wanted, but because we experienced something that’s hard to put into words. 

After that, I was kind of hooked.  I loved being able to go to different masses throughout the diocese and seeing a friendly face.  During my junior and senior year of high school, I served on the diocesan youth council and helped out with a diocesan youth conference.  I became even more familiar with my peers in other parishes and found mentors in the adults who served the youth.  Those people are still some of the people I turn to for advice and wisdom.  I’m still friends with some of those high school peers.  They have been a constant in my life that I am so thankful for.  

This past weekend (5/21/16), some of the pilgrims from the Diocese came together to pray and prepare for the upcoming trip.  We gathered at the beautiful Shrine of Christ’s Passion in St. John, Indiana to walk the Stations of the Cross, an act that will be repeated when we pray the Stations with millions of pilgrims during the last night of WYD in Krakow.  

Praying before entering the empty tomb.

It was a beautiful day with lovely weather.  We walked from station to station, reflecting upon the scene in front of us and adding our prayers to those who had also walked along the way.  

Jesus meeting his mother on the way to Calvary.

Each step we took, we were reminded that we are never alone along our journey.  Jesus was never alone.  Soldiers, guards, his mother, friends, strangers, prisoners were all with him.  Our journey was the same.  We had each other, but we also met strangers along the way.  Nuns, priests, children, elders, couples, single people; their paths colliding with ours along the way.  All there for a reason.  All seeing the same story.  All experiencing it a little but different.

A few final thoughts on community:

The more I keep thinking about it, the more I feel our pilgrimage has the theme of community.  Krakow, the host city, is often called the City of Saints, because so many saints and holy people have their roots in the city (It’s also the title of a great book by George Weigel about JPII’s Krakow).  The USA pilgrims are invited to ask St. James the Apostle (patron of pilgrim travelers), St. Kateri Tekakwitha (a young, faithful, Native American who loved her faith), St. Therese of Lisieux (patroness of missionaries and advocate for youth), Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (man of the beatitudes and patron of young adults), and St. John Paul II (son of Poland and patron of World Youth Day) to pray for us, along with the 8 other saints who have some connection to the city that the international WYD is holding a devotion to.  That’s a lot of people, and I’m so thankful that they have our backs.  

The Gary Delegation is also going to travel to Assisi in Italy, the home of St. Francis and St. Clare.  I’ll write more about that later, but it still has a connection to community.  Both Clare and Francis built communities around helping the poor and relying on the kindness of strangers for their daily needs.  Francis heard his call to “rebuild my Church, for which you see is falling down,” in a little country church.  He was praying in front of an old cross, that is unlike any cross I’ve ever seen before.  If you look at it, you will see something unusual: Jesus isn’t the only person in the picture.  He may be hanging on the cross, but he is surrounded his mother, followers, soldiers, saints, angels, God’s outreaching hand, and even some farm animals.  Francis started his road to sainthood alone, but with a community.  Kind of like a pilgrimage…

Chodźmy! Let’s go! Walk with me?

This is my friend Amanda.  We met when we went to WYD Toronto together.  She’s been a solid rock in my life and I’m so thankful that we are pilgrims together again! 

I am an avid fan of PBS travel shows.  My family can attest to this.  Ever since I was old enough to work the remote I gravitated towards television programs that showed the wonders of travel (I’m binging on them right now as I type this).  Rick Steves is my spirit animal.  Burt Wolf is my homeboy.  I want to be BFFs with the cast of Globe Trekker.  

You think I’m joking, but I totally did this pose after I renewed my passport.  Ask my mom.

National Geographic magazines also sparks travel day dreams.  My go to answers for the question, “What would be your dream job?” are “An astronaut, National Geographic photographer, and stationary store owner.”  I’ve always longed to travel and see the world and get that coveted stamp in my passport.  

So why don’t I want to be a tourist now?  

My dreams of travel have not died.  Have no fear of that.  My perspective though has changed.  I find that I relate more to the concept and practice of pilgrimage.  Being a tourist is fun.  Seeing new places is fun.  Getting to relax is fun.  But… to me, there is always something missing.  Going on a pilgrimage is enriching and life giving.  I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to my friend, the Pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage: It’s human nature.

At the heart of the pilgrimage is a journey.  There’s preparation involved long before the first step is taken.  Usually, there’s the understanding that the journey is an escape from the secular world and an entering into the sacred.  The ordinary and familiar parts of life are left behind and replaced by something new, unfamiliar, and maybe unexpected.  Typically there’s a connection to the past or a commemoration of something that had occurred in the area the pilgrim is headed.  There may be a ritual involved as well. The re-entrance into every day life once the pilgrimage is over is also a critical component to the pilgrimage as a whole. A pilgrim comes back home changed.

I see pilgrimages as a natural part of being human.  Since the dawn of man, humans have held certain areas of land as sacred.  Caves, mountains, rivers, all drew early humans to make multiple return trips.  To go to those areas was to encounter the sacred.  As humans continued to encounter God, pilgrimages began to flocking to places held sacred to their faith.  In the Buddhist tradition, where the Buddha walked, sat, and slept was kept sacred.  Hindus have more than 1800 religious sites that pilgrims flock to on holy days to make give a sacrifice, make an offering,  or complete a ritual such as bathing in the Ganges River at Banaras.  In early Judaism, all faithful were expected to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. While pilgrimages are no longer obligatory, many still go to the Western Wall to pray and travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Jewish holidays.  In Islam, completing the Hajj or a Mecca at least once in their life is one of the five pillars of faith.  

On pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.  I’m pretty sure I was thinking, “I am such a small part of this big, beautiful church” and trying really hard to focus on the camera, even though my head naturally looked up.

Christians started making pilgrimages shortly after the death of Christ.  The faithful would travel to where Jesus lived, preformed miracles, and died.  For those who could not make a physical pilgrimage, they instead recited prayers and reflected upon the Stations of the Cross. Pilgrims also traveled to places related to those who knew Jesus, such as Mary’s home or where his apostles died.  St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is literally built over the area where Peter was buried and is one of the most popular pilgrim sites in the world.  As more saints were added to the litany, more pilgrimage sites were established.  The Camino de Santiago (or the Way of St. James), takes pilgrims from France, though mountains and farm fields to end at the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.  Walking on the path that can date back to the 9th century, pilgrims stay in hostelsand relying on the kindness of strangers.    

St. Francis overlooking the valley below Assisi.  This is supposed to be a representation of the “internal dimension” of a pilgrimage.  

A Pilgrim’s Journey

Everyone experiences a pilgrimage is different.  When I went to Assisi with some of my classmates, we all went to the same exact places.  We came back home with very different experiences.  

A pilgrim often grapples with an internal dimension that is very different from a tourist’s experience.  Pilgrims take time to reflect up what occurred while they are on their way.  Often they allow themselves to be open to receive and be ministered to by the experience and to let go of control. Each pilgrim goes on a pilgrimage for different reasons and what they focus on can transform the pilgrimage (for example, since most pilgrims go to Lourdes, France seeking healing in the miraculous waters of a spring given to a young girl by Mary their pilgrimage often has a theme of healing).  A community of often built when strangers meet on the way.  Even if you initially set out on your own, you will not travel alone.  And last, the entire journey, from beginning to end, is important.  While a tourist may just want to hurry up and get to the destination, pilgrims pay attention to the entire journey (the man who helped me through security on my first flight was part of my pilgrimage in the same way the customs officer I greeted when I landed back home was).  

Watching Rick Steves share his knowledge on how to travel through Europe is very helpful, but I am looking forward to experiencing my own pilgrim journey.  To see familiar sites and walk on hallowed ground.  To be with old friends while meeting a million people.  To be open to whatever happens and to listen to God’s call through the noise of a crowded piazza.  

One of the best films depicting a person on a pilgrimage is “The Way,” staring Martin Sheen and written/directed by his son, Emilio Estevez.  It was filmed on the actual Camino de Santiago.  

Assisi