Parishioners Share Reflections on Walking Pilgrimage: “I Will Keep Going Every Year, God Willing"

Keith A. Mortimer knew that he wanted to participate in the walking pilgrimage immediately after reading about it in the church bulletin.

“I could hear God calling me to go,” Keith says. “This was my very first pilgrimage with Fr. Joel, and I will participate in every pilgrimage from now on as long as I am able.”

This summer, Fr. Joel Sember led a group on a walking pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. They started in Oconto Falls and walked 56 miles in five days from June 13 to June 17.

The destination was a major factor in Alison Quinlan’s decision to participate in the pilgrimage.

“Every time I visit this shrine, I seem to have a new prayer experience, and I was certainly in search of that again,” Alison says. “I was also looking for an extended pilgrimage this time, and the five-day option seemed like the right next step for me.”

Along the way, the group prayed together and met many different people who they then carried with them in prayer.

“The most meaningful part for me was being able to meet all these wonderful people that I walked with and all the people that hosted us for the night and fed us,” Keith says. “I also enjoyed the beautiful prayers and Mass that Fr. Joel shared with all of us.”

The group also encountered challenges along the way. While Keith battled terrible vertigo, Alison struggled with asking for and accepting help.

“The pilgrimage was yet another opportunity for me to work on the virtue of humility,” Alison says. “I tried to refuse physical help, emotional help, and even help with prayer. I’m still working on this. Deep down I do have a desire to keep growing even at this stage of my life.”

Keith and Alison would both encourage potential pilgrims to discern if God is calling you to participate in a walking pilgrimage and if so, consider doing the whole week if you are able.

“I would encourage everyone to do the whole week at least once,” Keith says. “It’s the best spiritual and uplifting experience you will have in five days. I can’t wait for next year and pray that I will be healthy and strong enough. I will be 59 next May, and I will keep going every year, God willing.”

If you do decide to participate in a future pilgrimage, Alison suggests anticipating that it will be the beginning of a long-term conversation with God that doesn’t end when you return home.

“When I got home, I still felt like I was on pilgrimage, and that mindset stands,” Alison says. “I think of a pilgrimage as constant movement where you experience personal growth, as well as growth in relationships among the pilgrims walking alongside you. When I came home, the areas of my life where I wasn’t allowing for growth became clear.”

If you would like more information about future walking pilgrimages, email Fr. Joel at father@pilgrimpriest.us.

The group on the walking pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help (from left) Alison, Tammy, Kat, Lisa

(From left) Keith Mortimer and Fr. Joel Sember

At a lunch stop, the group poses with a collection of bandanas from previous years, which Fr. Joel’s mother embroiders with the pilgrimage logo.

The group taking a quick break during the walking pilgrimage — (from left) Keith, Fr. Joel, Tammy, Rhonda, Kat, Alison, and Lisa

Enjoying a recovery epsom soak — (from left) Tammy Behnke, Rhonda Wald, and Alison Quinlan