“Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer ‘in Church.’” – Catechism of the Catholic Church 2691

Since 2004, more than 14,000 college students, alumni, chaplains and missionaries with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) have encountered Christ and shared the Gospel while on FOCUS mission trips. 

During the current mission season (winter 2022-summer 2023), more than 100 trips will give approximately 1,800 people the opportunity to serve others throughout the world, including a pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. 

For each trip, FOCUS partners with a local religious order, apostolate or organization that understands the community’s greatest needs. Some teams serve the homeless and renovate community infrastructure, while others teach children or provide patient care services at medical clinics. (Visit focusmissions.org for details.)

During the recent spring break, students from Ohio State University took a weeklong pilgrimage to Rome, visiting St. Peter’s and other basilicas to encounter the foundations of their faith and to serve others. Also on the pilgrimage were Father Adam Streitenberger, executive director of the Columbus St. Thomas More Newman Center; Nicole Simental, interim director of music at the Newman Center; four FOCUS missionaries; and 19 students. 

“Pilgrimage is a great opportunity for students to set aside a time to allow the Lord space to work,” said Anne Gradoville, a second-year FOCUS missionary at Ohio State. 

“Life on campus is often extremely busy, and pilgrimage provides a time for the students to grow in their relationship with the Lord and one another by journeying through some of the most important places in the history of the Church. I have continually seen the Lord change students’ lives through pilgrimages.” 

(From left) Hannah Taukus, Matthew Ayers, Nicole Simental and Mackenzie Hoog pray at St. Paul’s tomb at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Photo courtesy Jennifer Meier
Students and missionaries pray in front of the sacred relic of the Holy Crib at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Photo courtesy Jennifer Meier

Students saw the beauty of the Catholic Church when visiting the four major basilicas in Rome – St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major and the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran – and other basilicas in the city. They also visited tombs of saints.

They learned about religious life from the Bridgettine sisters and seminarians from the Pontifical North American College and by volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity. In addition, the students spent an hour in prayer each day and received Him in the Eucharist at daily Mass. 

“Rome and the tombs of (Sts.) Peter and Paul are epicenters of our Catholic life,” Father Streitenberger said. “Millions have made a pilgrimage to these sights over the centuries of Church history.

“To join them in a penitential and sacrificial journey that is a pilgrimage is a great Lenten opportunity and a life-altering event. I was impressed with how seriously the students approached their pilgrimage. I found it a great blessing and highlight of my priesthood to join them in their journey to Rome.” 

Students stand in front of the building where the Missionaries of Charity help the local community in Rome. Photo courtesy Nicole Simental

When asked to describe their faith before the trip and during the pilgrimage and what they intended to do afterward, the students said: 

•    “My faith was a roller coaster before the trip. While I regularly attended Mass and had a decent prayer life, … I wasn’t striving for true intimacy with Christ and wasn’t taking hold of the faith aspect of my life. I’d say that faith was something that I wanted others to think I had, while deep down, it was something that I was scratching the surface at,” said Joe Dobrzynski, a senior at Ohio State.

 “The trip made me look at how I can grow in my relationship with Christ. Through all the experiences on the trip and the beauty of the churches we visited, I was able to reflect on the experiences of the saints of the Church and say to myself, ‘I’m called to be a saint, and why shouldn’t I put Christ as the center of my life?’ Now, I’m trying to implement many of the routines established on our trip. 

“For example, I aim to pray the rosary, Angelus and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily as well as cut off the bad habits that push me away from Christ. I’d say that these strategies and growing closer with my brothers and sisters from the trip will allow me to live out the faith and become the saint that Christ calls me to be.”

•    “I got involved with the Newman Center at Ohio State during my freshman year of college, which helped my faith grow tremendously,” said Cassie Mavis, a sophomore at Ohio State. “Through this, I learned the importance of prayer, the sacraments and being involved in a faith-filled community. 

“Our pilgrimage to Rome helped me see the beauty of the Church that Jesus created and how universal our Catholic faith is. Seeing how our faith has been passed down through the generations was incredible. The time we spent in prayer allowed God to give me strength and grace in many personal areas that I had been struggling with. During our pilgrimage, we lived out the faith through prayer, the sacraments and community. 

“My favorite part of the experience was being surrounded by a group of students who were passionate about growing closer to the Lord. Their witness helped me grow in my dedication to my faith and has inspired me to continue walking on the path to holiness.” 

Ohio State students are given a tour of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls by a seminarian from the North American College in Rome. Photo courtesy Jennifer Meier

•    “Before this pilgrimage, I was pretty active in my faith. I was committed to daily prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, attended daily Mass and was part of a couple of small groups,” said Hunter Kesler, a senior at Ohio State. “While I was active, I became comfortable with what I was doing and where I was spiritually. 

“During the pilgrimage, I got to visit and pray at several tombs of great saints of the Catholic Church, with a few notable ones being St. Peter, St. Paul and St. John Paul II. Being so close to these giants of the faith who gave everything to the Lord, even unto death, stirred within me a greater desire to surrender myself to the Father and be like Jesus, freely giving everything I have to those around me. 

“Receiving the desire for even greater surrender to God has caused me to dive deeper into prayer. It has given me the confidence to break out of the comfortable routine I built to enter a period of discernment to learn how Jesus is particularly calling me to give myself to His Church. Additionally, I had a great experience of the community during the pilgrimage, and I learned how much I can learn about Jesus, His Church and even myself through sharing life with others.”

•    “Before the trip, my faith was self-reliant,” said Mackenzie Hoog, a junior at Ohio State. “I would say that I trusted God and what He had planned for me, but ultimately, I often would try and take control into my own hands. As I visited all the different chapels, churches and basilicas, I realized the beauty in relinquishing our grip over controlling our lives and giving it all to God. 

“I read about the saints and notable people of the faith and how God uniquely shared in their lives and provided for them in His plan that was more bountiful than their original one. As time passed over the trip, I saw more clearly what God was calling me to do. Trust in Him and His good plan. 

“Since the trip, I have begun to see a change in my small ways. I now see things a little clearer – especially my priorities. After spending precious time with the Lord so often during the trip, I desire to find more quiet times with Him and further our relationship. I cannot wait to see how this deepens along with my trust in His plan for me.”

Going on a pilgrimage gives us time to learn about the foundations of the faith and the lives of the saints. Through this experience, we can look inward and ask ourselves, “How is the Lord working in my life?” 

Students go up the steps of the Scala Sancta (The Holy Stairs) that Jesus climbed during His trial with Pontius Pilate. The Scala Sancta may only be ascended on the knees while spending time in prayer on each step. Photo courtesy Austin Klarsch

To take it one step further, I asked how the Lord works in my heart. As we think and walk along the pilgrimage journey, there is more than just going on a trip. The Lord reveals that we are on this trip for a reason, and that reason is Him. 

Allow yourself to leave the noise of daily life and enter into the silence to listen to what the Lord is doing inside of you. If you have the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage, take it! That one “yes” can take you on a journey you will never forget, and it’s a great way to share how the Lord continues to work in our lives. 

Kenny Davy is a Catholic Campaign for Human Development intern in the diocesan Office for Social Concerns.