Pilgrimage

Travelling Christians

Pilgrims want to find God. Or they want God's help.

For two thousand years Christian pilgrims have travelled to the places where Jesus was born, lived, healed, preached and died, hoping to feel closer to him and God, to be forgiven for their sins, or to get a special favour.

And since the time of Christ other places of pilgrimage have emerged, such as Lourdes in France and Walsingham in England, both of which are popular nowadays.

The Catholic Church has always believed pilgrims can get closer to God. 

Why people go on pilgrimage
Pilgrims want:

• to see at first hand the places where Jesus lived, so they can deepen their understanding of his teaching and thus obtain a greater understanding of God;
• to get a favour for themselves—perhaps to be cured of an illness or a disability; to achieve success in their job; to become more affluent; to overcome a difficulty such as shyness; and so on;
• to seek special help for someone else, perhaps one of their children who faces a difficult situation—for example, mental illness, a bad relationship with husband or wife, childlessness, and so on;
• to thank God for a blessing they believe he has given them;
• to fulfil a promise, such as to undertake the pilgrimage if God gave them what they prayed for; and they believe their prayer has come true;
• to experience God or become more aware of him, which they feel is more likely in a holy place than an ordinary place;
• to have a relaxing time and a good holiday.

Effects of pilgrimage
Any of the following can result from a pilgrimage

• pilgrims may have a greater respect for God, and more aware of his presence, which they feel is real despite being unseen;
• pilgrims may become less agitated and angry, and not so selfish and frustrated when they don't get their own way, having acquired gifts from the Spirit of God such as gentleness, peace, kindness, patience, and so on;
• pilgrims see things differently. Before they went on pilgrimage they were preoccupied with their problems. After the pilgrimage, they understand people who cause them aggravation and see things from points of view other than their own;
• pilgrims understand that things cannot be perfect in this world;
• pilgrims may be cured of an illness, physical or mental;
• pilgrims may spend time helping other people.