The Walsingham Way-Wisconsin: The First Pilgrimage
12 Pilgrims Hike from St. Peter's to the Sheboygan Shrine
(Pilgrim Stones at the Walsingham Shrine, Sheboygan Wisconsin)
On May 18, 2024, a group of pilgrims started a new pilgrimage trail.
Which begs the question, can you start a new pilgrim trail in the 21st century America? Well, why not? We live in a time of the Upside Down where everything is jumbled, thrown around, and mixed up. Some have responded to the current mess by doing terrible things. People are warping history and tradition to fit their own cracked worldviews, especially when it comes to the church. It sometimes seems as if everything and everyone is cracking and breaking.
I suppose that seems like a doom and gloom statement, but I don’t think so. It’s in these sort of times that many people discover things they’ve forgotten. Much has been made over people leaving the church in droves and the so-called “deconstructionist” movement that’s gripped American Christianity. I’m one who doesn’t see those things as bad things. It’s forcing us come face to face with our profound failure to represent Christ.
The key, of course, is to embrace your own failures, and not be obsessed with how others failures who “hurt you.” There’s enough blame to go around. I myself have responded badly in the past to confronting my failures and made even worse mistakes in the process.
It’s how we change our failures through repentance that matters most. The life of penance is learning how to create good things in ourselves and for others.
So, why not start a pilgrim/hiking trail as a different (for modern Americans) way to encounter Christ? Why not do something “out there” that’s good? A majority of people hate going to church right now. Pilgrimage is the ultimate deconstruction and critique of yourself as you come face to face with your own sins, failures, and limitations.
If you look at the history of pilgrimage, starting a new pilgrim trail is not as far fetched as it seems. Most pilgrimage routes started organically by the people who lived around a particular saint, shrine or significant event.
These pilgrims wanted to visit holy places for a variety of reasons, many of which we would recognize. Christianity is an incarnated faith, and God’s grace flows through the Seen world. Most couldn’t articulate that nuanced theological point when they went on these journeys.
Yet, they felt it. They wanted to be made holy or near holiness at least. Many fell along the way. If you chose to go on a medieval pilgrimage, there was a good chance you might die. All of these pilgrims knew it. Their sacrifices made the pilgrim ways holy, while the pilgrimage made them holy, a beautiful symbiotic relationship.
(The First Pilgrims)
The Guardians of the Walsingham Shrine, of which I’m a member, are seeking to create just such a pilgrim trail to the Walsingham Sheboygan Shrine. One of our leaders, Deacon Paul from Grace Episcopal in Sheboygan, put together the first ever walking pilgrimage to the shrine. He called it “The Stones We Carry,” a seven mile walk from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Sheboygan Falls to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Sheboygan City.
We gathered on a Saturday to take the seven mile hike. As I looked around, I was struck by the wide range of ages and generations of the group ranging from folks in their 70’s to a five year old.
As I sat in the pews waiting for our pilgrimage to start with the Angelus, I looked at the statue of St. Peter and chuckled. This guy follows me around. I’d just visited his tomb, after all. He always shows up in key moments in my life and I consider helping start this pilgrim trail as a huge moment in my life. Given that I’m almost 50, it might be one of the last major projects.
Inside the church is a memorial to the firefighters who helped save St. Peter’s from a major fire. As a volunteer firefighter here in Hillsboro, it added another level of meaning for me. Everything seemed almost absurdly perfect. I’m not sure about you, dear reader, but those moments rarely happen for me.
(St. Peter blessing the firefighters and a burnt statue of the Blessed Mother, picture by the author)
After we prayed the Angelus, we set off on our route. We hiked along small town and country roads until we hit the Plank Trail, a twenty mile bike path. That led us into the city, where we hiked on sidewalks and through a city park until we reached the shrine. Along the way, we stopped five times to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, and pray for the shrine prayer requests that people leave when they visit.
Walking through alternate landscapes between country and city are a good thing. I’ve talked about the difference between the European and American way of hiking. Most American hikers think that civilization and towns are to be avoided, unless you need to stop, rest and resupply. Take the AT, for instance. The route goes out of its way to avoid towns creating bizarre routes and sore bodies.
The Europeans, however, like it when their trails go through towns. It allows for chance meetings and hanging out with people you don’t know. I love going out in nature and how it cleans my heart and mind. However, I’m not careful, I can “disembody” and get lost in my own head. When I do, I lose connection with the Seen world, the world of people. Like it or not, people are one of the main instruments that God uses to make each other holy. The Bible isn’t too fond of talking about “personal quests” to find enlightenment and holiness, at least, in of themselves.
A pilgrimage is only complete when you weave other people into the experience.
(Dirty Pilgrim Feet. Good band name. Photo by author)
At the Walsingham Shrine in England, pilgrims take off their shoes for the last mile at the Slipper Chapel, a Roman Catholic Church. We didn’t do a whole mile, but we slipped off our shoes before we entered the church. As we entered, the church organist was practicing for Sunday morning Eucharist and the music resounded off the walls of the church as we proceeded to the shrine.
After we said some final prayers, we ate a nice lunch and everyone went our separate ways, the pilgrimage complete.
So, our work has begun and I couldn’t be more excited. Jennifer and I will be starting the longer hike at Nashotah House on June 22nd and June 23rd. Please let me know if you want to join us.
We’re working on a website and social media for the Guardians and The Walsingham Way-Wisconsin. Stay tuned. This pilgrimage is just getting started….
(The First Pilgrims of The Walsingham Way-Wisconsin)