Pilgrimage for Restoration Honors First Native American Saint
Gregory Lloyd, director of the Pilgrimage for Restoration, has announced the theme for the seventeenth annual pilgrimage, which takes place September 28 to 30, 2012. This year’s theme, in honor of the soon-to-be-canonized Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, is “Restoration of True Devotion to Mary, in the footsteps of Saint Kateri.”
The pilgrimage begins at the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament (“Lake George,” NY), and ends at the Shrine of Our Lady of the North American Martyrs, in Auriesville, New York. Pilgrims walk, sing, camp, and pray along the paths traversed by the North American Martyrs – venerating as they go the places these heroes of God sanctified by their blood witness to Christ and His Church. High Mass in the traditional Roman Rite (extraordinary form) is offered daily, and priests are available for confession and spiritual guidance throughout the pilgrimage. The journey terminates in a beautiful Solemn Mass offered at the Shrine of the North American Martyrs on Sunday, September 30.
Pilgrims can go the entire distance – sixty-three miles over three days – or join for the very last day, making the last short leg to the Auriesville shrine. In addition, there is a “modified pilgrimage” for seniors and parents with young children. This lends a Catholic family atmosphere to the pilgrimage, and makes the event “something for everyone.” Transportation for weary pilgrims is provided throughout, as are a safety escort and trained medical personnel.
Explaining the significance of this year’s theme, Lloyd said, “This year we pilgrims are filled with special joy. For seventeen years we’ve joined the millions who, for centuries, have prayed for Saint Kateri’s canonization. We feel a deep confidence this year that the ‘Lily of the Mohawks’ will hear our prayers, and ask Christ to grant every perfect gift to those who ask in her name.”
He concluded with a broad invitation to the Pilgrimage. “We invite all men of good will to do penance and to pray with us to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to obtain from her Son the grace of conversion and Catholic Faith for all Americans, to gain for the Church in North America victory in the struggle against the tyranny of relativism, and to expel again the forces of darkness from our Lands. And while you’re at it, come have what pilgrims for seventeen unforgettable years have called, ‘the time of your life’ with friends in the beautiful Adirondacks!”
To register online, or to obtain more information, interested parties are referred to the web site of the National Coalition of Clergy and Laity: www.national-coalition.org/pilgrim/. Inquiries may be directed to the Pilgrimage Director, Gregory Lloyd:
National Coalition of Clergy & Laity
621 Jordan Circle
Whitehall PA 18052-7119
610-435-2634 tel.
lloydg@national-coalition.org
