Pilgrimage Is Serious Business… Mostly

There are some things about pilgrimage that are very serious.

Prayer is serious. The Eucharist is serious. Walking into a Catholic church you've never visited before, finding the Tabernacle, and spending a few quiet minutes with Jesus—that matters.

But somewhere between the Tabernacle and the parking lot, funny things happen.

Especially when you're on a One-Day Pilgrimage.

At Catholic Roads, we're discovering that you don't need a passport, a month off, or a pair of well-worn hiking boots to become a pilgrim. Sometimes you just need a free day, a nearby Catholic church, a willing traveling companion—and enough curiosity to see where the Holy Highway takes you.

Of course, it helps to bring your sense of humor.

Pilgrims Are Funny People

Our One-Day Pilgrimages usually begin with a church. Maybe Daily Mass. Maybe Eucharistic Adoration. Maybe simply a visit to a parish we've never seen before.

Then we wander.

We explore the town. We find someplace interesting for lunch. We meet people. We notice things we'd normally drive right past.

And occasionally we get lost.

We collect parish bulletins we don't need. We study maps like we're crossing the Pyrenees when we're actually trying to get from Columbia to Elgin. We start talking about the next Catholic church before we've finished visiting the one standing directly in front of us.

And yes…

Eventually somebody needs to find the restroom.

That's pilgrimage too.

Holy Humor on the Holy Highway

That's the idea behind the One-Day Pilgrimage cartoons in the gallery below.

They're not making fun of pilgrimage.

They're having fun with pilgrimage.

Because faith and joy belong together.

The more we travel these Catholic Roads, the more we discover that a pilgrimage isn't only about where we go. It's about what happens to us along the way.

We pray.

We laugh.

We meet interesting people.

We learn a little more about the Church.

We learn a little more about each other.

And somewhere along the road, an ordinary day becomes a memory.

Memories That Last Into Eternity

That's really what we're after.

A One-Day Pilgrimage doesn't have to be grand. It doesn't have to be perfectly planned. And apparently, judging from these cartoons, it probably won't be.

But it can be joyful.

It can deepen our love for the Eucharist and the Church.

It can remind us that God is present not only at the destination, but all along the road getting there.

And years from now, we may not remember every church bulletin we picked up or every wrong turn we made.

But we'll remember who was beside us.

We'll remember the laughter.

We'll remember kneeling together before the Tabernacle.

We'll remember the day.

And some memories, we suspect, just might last into eternity.

So enjoy the cartoons. Have a laugh. Then grab somebody you love and plan a One-Day Pilgrimage of your own.

The Holy Highway is waiting.

Shrines! Wines! Interesting People!

Catholic Roads — It's Cool To Be Catholic… Especially in the Carolinas.

One-Day Pilgrimage Cartoons

Have some fun with Opa as he shares his cartoons about One-Day Pilgrimage!

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