A Pilgrim Church

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“Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on earth…” So states the intercession after the Consecration at Mass. What does it mean that we are called a “pilgrim Church”?

The word “pilgrim” may bring to mind several different images. First, you might think of the people with the funny hats who came to America on the Mayflower. But that is not the kind of pilgrim I mean. A pilgrim, broadly defined, is someone who is on a journey. They have a particular place they are heading towards, but have not reached it yet. In the Catholic sense of the word, a pilgrim is someone on a journey to a particular holy place who often is walking with a particular intention in mind. Pilgrims are also characterized by aspects of petition, penance, and thanksgiving.

How is the Church on earth like this kind of pilgrim? To put it simply, we are all journeying along the path of life towards Heaven. Like on any physical journey, we will encounter obstacles and hardships on our path, but there will also be beauty and joy.

One of the most beautiful aspects of a pilgrimage is the people you walk it with: the people who guide you and support you, who encourage you and push you on. The people who pray for you and who help you to remember the destination when all seems dark and distant.

Last month I was blessed to take on the literal identity of a pilgrim when I walked 100 km of the Camino de Santiago, across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, the burial place of the Apostle James. I walked under forests and over mountains, through towns and along the sea. I slept and ate little; I prayed and walked a lot. My pack felt heavy, but my heart was light. I experienced the exhaustion of constant travel, and then the joy of arrival in Santiago.

Thankfully, I did not make this journey alone, nor could I have if I had tried. My two companions served as guides and encouragers. We looked after one another. We prayed with one another. We carried the burdens of travel together, and we shared our hearts with one another throughout the journey. But without them, I would have never made it to Santiago.

I remember one day in particular, we had to rise well before dawn to begin our walk. The moon was waning and provided little light. Our path took us into the woods alongside a rushing river and past old stone ruins of mills. It was pitch black all around us. We had only a headlamp to light the path before us. However, walking this way with each other felt exhilarating, like something straight out of a story. Had I been alone, it would have been terrifying. What if I wandered off the path? Or tripped and fell? If I was alone, who would have been there to help me?

At different times of our lives, the Lord, in His infinite love and wisdom, places us in various communities and has us journey alongside particular people. One such community of people that the Lord has invited me (and you) to is St. Benedict Classical Academy. As a Catholic school, we are not merely seeking to fill your children’s heads with lots of information. We are striving, in partnership with parents, to form them to become saints. And (I think this part is often forgotten), to become saints ourselves. In your vocation as parents, you are called to become a saint. In my vocation as a teacher, I am called to become a saint. But we are not fulfilling our vocations and journeying towards Heaven alone. We are doing so as a community, united in faith and purpose. We work together. We encourage one another. If another falls or begins to wander, we lovingly guide them back to the path.

I am thankful to walk this part of my pilgrimage with you all. May God bless us and guide us on our way. As the pilgrims say in Spain, buen camino!