The Catholic Spirit asked our readers “What pilgrimage experience made a difference in your life and why?” The following is a selection of their responses.

When my friend Cindy and I went on a Holy Land pilgrimage in 2013, she was particularly taken with the oil that a woman was using to anoint the Stone of Unction at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We searched all over for the oil that was used, as it had a distinctive, beautiful aroma. On our second-to-the-last day of our pilgrimage, we found the oil we were looking for in a gift shop — nard. Nard was one of the oils used to prepare a body for burial in the Bible. Cindy kept it at her house, and when I would visit, we would open the bottle and anoint rosaries and rosary pouches and just enjoy the aroma. When my dear Cindy died from COVID on Dec. 2, 2020, I made sure to get the bottle of nard from her home and anoint her body before burial. She would have loved having her body go into the earth anointed with the treasured nard oil we found on our Holy Land pilgrimage.

Sue Christensen
Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee

At Notre Dame Academy, our eighth-grade students participated in a three-day pilgrimage in April. Their amazing journey began at NDA with an early morning Mass with Father John Bauer, who also accompanied us on our trip. We then drove to Our Lady of Guadelupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. We enjoyed the beautiful grounds, amazing Votive Chapel, relics in the main chapel as well as its Memorial to the Unborn. We next traveled to Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin. We spent the following day immersing ourselves in the experience of Mary’s visit to Adele. Our group walked from the Church of St. Joseph into the shrine grounds while praying a rosary. We enjoyed Mass, adoration, confession and meditation in the crypt as well as purchased sacramentals which Father John blessed for us. Our final day included time at the National Shrine of St. Joseph (so special during the year of St. Joseph) and a Mass and tour of the St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere. While on their pilgrimage, our NDA students enjoyed time for fellowship and fun, but, most significantly, they truly embraced the opportunity to get to know their faith and Jesus in a more personal way.

Bonnie Jungels, principal
Notre Dame Academy, Minnetonka

In college, I went on a trip to Alabama to help build houses after a hurricane. On arrival though, it turned out that only some of us would be at the actual job site, and I was not in that group. I was so disappointed as I had gone on this trip with visions of myself framing walls, windows and doors. But then my group got to help just this one family with little jobs in their damaged house, like tearing out insulation and painting a bedroom a deep bright blue — just simple things to help them put their lives back together, to bring some hope and happiness. We got to share a meal together, and they brought us to meet a man who spent his days repairing fishing nets. It was so meaningful to get to know them and spend time with them, way better than pounding in nails. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there was so much beauty in the unexpected on that trip, and that was God’s will, not mine. That’s the lesson that’s stuck with me.

Bryanna Reinsberg
St. Thomas Becket, Eagan

Archbishop Hebda was one of the leaders of this Pilgrimage (to Italy in September 2018). He won my respect as a true shepherd of God. He always seemed to keep an eye on the group, but he was especially impressive when we were departing the tour bus at the airport to return home and he stood outside the bus greeting everyone. The tour guides could not come with us into the airport, so he took it upon himself to protect his flock of travelers. He made sure everyone found the right direction to the plane they needed. We had tickets for St. Peter’s Square to hear and see Pope Francis. The song “I will follow you” played and the people sang along from their hearts. That moment confirmed in me that I always want to follow Jesus. We visited Assisi, Italy, and we were reminded that St. Francis was asked by God to rebuild his Church, so he started rebuilding a broken-down church before he caught on that God was speaking about God’s people as the Church that needed rebuilding. I had suspected this was why Pope Francis chose the name he did. Pope Francis sees our current broken Church and truly wants to rebuild it for God. Our Church has been broken for years, and now our families are often broken. A year dedicated to St. Joseph will help rebuild God’s Church.

Esther Lenartz
St. John Neumann, Eagan

“Readers Respond” is a new feature in The Catholic Spirit. Catholic school students, alumni, administrators, teachers, staff and parents, please respond to our next question: How has your relationship to a Catholic school deepened your faith? in 200 words or less to [email protected] with “Readers Respond” in the subject line.