In 2013 I was blessed with the opportunity to join a local church group on pilgrimage to Spain and Portugal. We began by walking the English Route of the Camino de Santiago into Santiago de Compostela, Spain, followed by a visit to the shrine at Fatima, Portugal. Though it was one pilgrimage, I had two … Read More
In the St. Wenceslas tale that is told around this time of year, we see a king’s mercy and compassion. Good King Wenceslas, who has had songs and story books made of his life, set out one winter’s night with his squire to take food and firewood to his poor subjects. The snow was deep, … Read More
The Old Testament shows the prefigurement of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. In 2 Samuel, Uzzah is struck dead for touching the ark of the covenant and David feels unworthy to bring the ark to Jerusalem. So, David takes the ark to the house of Obed-Edom where the ark remained for three months. While … Read More
The “Litany of Loreto” is a powerful prayer composed in the Middle Ages and embraced by pilgrims at the Marian Shrine in Loreto, Italy, where tradition claims the original house of the Virgin Mary was transported. For centuries, the shrine has attracted pilgrims from all over the world. As a result, many of these pilgrims … Read More
Erin McCole CuppLast Updated: July 13th, 2020Marian Shrines of Europe, Pilgrims' Stories
By Erin McCole Cupp “You’re going to Lourdes? Oh, the Candlelight Rosary Procession—it’s so beautiful! You’ll love it.” I heard this from many corners as we prepared for our family’s pilgrimage. As the summer approached, our family read books about Lourdes, poured over the Lourdes website, and watched videos and documentaries. I remember the five … Read More
Erin McCole CuppLast Updated: November 27th, 2018Ireland, Marian Shrines of Europe, Pilgrims' Stories
By Erin McCole Cupp “Uncomfortable silence” is a phrase that has taken on multiple meanings of late. We can’t drive without the radio playing. We can’t sit anywhere without the buzzing of this text or that notification. We can’t even let our minds be quiet for more than thirty seconds before we pull out the … Read More
So, you’ve decided to make a pilgrimage. You’ve registered, purchased insurance, and obtained the right travel documents … but there’s so much more to a pilgrimage than the practicalities of travel! You’re not just going on a vacation. You’re putting yourself in God’s hands in a very special way, asking Him to show you what … Read More
Bri CampbellLast Updated: September 15th, 2020France, Italy, Marian Shrines of Europe, Medjugorje
What does “incorrupt” mean?The word “incorrupt” means “not having undergone decomposition, especially of a human body.” What is an incorrupt saint? In the realm of Catholicism, an incorrupt saint is one whose body experiences little, no, or delayed decomposition after death. It is believed that divine intervention has allowed a number of human bodies to … Read More
Bri CampbellLast Updated: June 3rd, 2020Marian Shrines of Europe
With any pilgrimage that you may embark on, there are plenty of ways to be immersed into a spiritual experience. You may be able to touch a relic, visit a place where Jesus may have walked, or come within feet of the Holy Father during a Wednesday Audience. But at Lourdes, the everyday pilgrim not only has the option to be immersed spiritually, but also physically, when they partake in the ritual of bathing at St. Bernadette’s Grotto.
Bri CampbellLast Updated: September 16th, 2020Marian Shrines of Europe, Pilgrims' Stories
When I first stepped foot inside the Sagrada Familia almost four years ago I was more than a little offended when a fellow art student commented that this iconic structure was “ugly.” In last week’s article, I explored the two completed facades and how they encapsulate the fullness and depth of the Catholic faith. Read More…
Bri CampbellLast Updated: September 14th, 2020Marian Shrines of Europe, Pilgrims' Stories
The Barcelona skyline isn’t really that impressive. All of the buildings tend to blend together; they share the same brown color and none of them soar higher then 3 or 4 stories tall. So when your eye wanders upon the vast Sagrada Familia in the distance, it seems even greater in size. Read More…
Bri CampbellLast Updated: September 14th, 2020Marian Shrines of Europe, Pilgrims' Stories
When I first walked through the doors of the Sagrada Familia, I entered as a study abroad art student, not a pilgrim. My breath was immediately taken away by the magnificent dancing colors of the grand windows and the columns that seemed to branch up into the sky for miles. Read More
A French nun who had suffered from a debilitating pinched nerve for more than 40 years was healed after a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2008 – the 70th miracle of Lourdes.
Oftentimes, however, pilgrims are surprised by the unexpected graces they receive on pilgrimage. Graces they never thought to ask for, or even knew they needed.
