Travel

The power of pilgrimages

Why Maggie McDaniels’ passion is guiding the faithful through the Holy Land

BY NANCY COOKE

If you ask people what a pilgrimage is, you may hear it defined as a vacation abroad to visit major basilicas, ancient shrines and museums. But not if that person is Maggie McDaniel of Catholic Faith Journeys. She will tell you that a pilgrimage is not a vacation, but a journey in search of spiritual growth. “A pilgrimage deepens the bonds of faith and makes it very personal. It can create a new relationship between a person and their faith,” she says.

I watch Maggie point to the Sea of Galilee on a map of the Holy Land, mounted on the wall behind her. She is talking about the religious significance of this area. The map dwarfs her petite frame and for a moment, I marvel at the fact that she has personally guided thousands of people to places where the divine intersects with daily life. She describes herself as an introvert – but the passion she projects when discussing pilgrimages makes that impossible for me to believe. “My greatest desire is to get as many Catholics as possible to the Holy Land, with a Catholic guide, and then, to Italy,”

she says. Maggie’s first pilgrimage took place in 1999 when she was asked to coordinate a 10-day trip to Italy, for a priest. She remembers being very nervous about going, to the point of asking her husband, Deacon Charlie McDaniel, to take her back home while en route to the airport. “Being Catholic, I had always romanticized the concept of going to Rome, Florence, and Lourdes,” she says. “It was such a positive experience for me – I made lifelong friends on that pilgrimage and knew I wanted to do it again.”

The Church of All Nations (also known as the Basilica of the Agony) sits at the base of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The church is built around the rock where many believe Jesus prayed, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prior to his crucifixion.

Photo by Maggie McDaniel

Although pilgrimages have a spiritual purpose, they are also fun. Maggie describes the joy of experiencing a different country and its cultures. “I prefer being with groups because you can share your insights at the end of the day and experience new foods, people and architecture - with faith intertwined.” When teens are onboard, it is important to remind them that things will not be the same as they are at home. “Be willing to go with an open heart and mind, with no preconceived notions about how things will be. Make plans, but be willing to go wherever God leads,” Maggie says. “If there are minor inconveniences along the way, use them as opportunities for grace and growth.”

Maggie McDaniel with a group of seminarians and priests in Rome.

Photo by Maggie McDaniel

There are two main goals of every pilgrimage Maggie plans – first, to provide pilgrims with a better understanding of their Catholic faith, and then to make sure that everyone is safe and there are no major issues. She also suggests packing comfortable shoes and attire. While she guides approximately nine pilgrimages annually, Maggie points out that each person on each pilgrimage is significant to her.

“That is why this is a ministry – and not a vacation,” she says.

I ask Maggie whether she ever tires of going on pilgrimages to the same places. “No, because I always see something in a new way each time I go. I see things through the eyes of those I take with me,” she says. She has witnessed parishioners becoming much more involved in their parishes after gaining new insights into their faith through pilgrimage. “When you realize that saints died for our faith so we could have it, it becomes even more precious to you,” she adds.

Maggie goes on to describe a moment she will never forget. Standing inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, she looked at the statue of the Blessed Mother gazing upon the crucified Jesus. Her thoughts turned to how Jesus suffered and died for the sins of all mankind and she realized that her face was wet with tears.

Fr. Jeff Walker prays inside the tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Photo by Maggie McDaniel

Pilgrimages provide an atmosphere in which personal faith encounters like this can occur.

Talking with Maggie has opened my eyes to the beauty and spiritual significance of going on a pilgrimage. I look forward to the day when I will see the Holy Land for the first time, with her as my guide.