ALLOUEZ, Wis. — Walking pilgrimages to religious sites have been a popular way of expressing and building one’s faith and connection to God for centuries.
In the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisc., spiritual journeys such as the annual 21-mile Walk to Mary, from the National Shrine of St. Joseph in De Pere to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion in May, have attracted thousands.
A new opportunity to experience this physical act of faith will soon be available, courtesy of the Modern Catholic Pilgrim based in San Diego.
Its founder, Will Peterson, visited the diocese in late August to make a 130-mile walking pilgrimage from the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Hubertus. The journey is known as “The Wisconsin Way.”
The Wisconsin Way walking pilgrimage is a journey first promoted by Father Andrew Kurz, administrator of St. Paul Parish in Plainfield. Fr. Kurz created his own walking pilgrimage from Champion to Hubertus, also known as Holy Hill, in 2013.
He told The Compass, Green Bay’s diocesan newspaper, that it was his hope to ignite a walking pilgrimage movement in this country.
Peterson, whose Modern Catholic Pilgrim project leads walking pilgrimages in Kentucky and California, plans to add The Wisconsin Way to its offerings.
Modern Catholic Pilgrim is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. The multiday pilgrimages are open to young adults, ages 18-30.
Editor’s Note: For information about Modern Catholic Pilgrimage, visit moderncatholicpilgrim.com.
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