When I think of pilgrimage my mind automatically goes to the big sites we’ve all seen advertised online and across social media:
“Go to Rome to see the Vatican.”
“Walk the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem.”
“Visit Auschwitz to see where St. Maximilian Kolbe died.”
These all sound appealing and I hope to go on some of these traditional pilgrimages someday. But until I have that opportunity, I’ve learned that I can spend intentional time with God and grow in faith by going on mini pilgrimages.
Whether it’s during a family vacation, on a work trip, or just some free time on a Saturday afternoon, I’ve made an effort the last ten years to go on mini pilgrimages both in my region and during my travels.
In this blog, I’ll unpack what a mini pilgrimage is, why you should consider going on one, and how to get started.
Mini pilgrimage? Pilgrimage? What’s the difference?
Before we jump into what a mini pilgrimage is, let’s define pilgrimage first:
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place done as an act of religious devotion. It often means going to a site related to the life or death of Jesus, Mary, or the saints. When going to traditional pilgrimage sites (like those mentioned above), this usually requires traveling far from home for a number of days in a row and can involve a significant financial investment.
Okay, now that we’ve got that covered, what is a mini pilgrimage then?
As the name implies, a mini pilgrimage is simply a pilgrimage done on a smaller scale. It’s shorter, doesn’t require traveling far distances, and is often much less of a financial commitment.
A mini pilgrimage can be as short as an hour or half a day in length and consist of taking a trip to a shrine, cathedral, or other sacred space for the purpose of spiritual growth.
The biggest prerequisite to going on any kind of pilgrimage is the desire to draw closer to God outside the confines of normal, everyday life, and the same holds true with mini pilgrimages.
An Example of a Mini Pilgrimage
This all sounds good on paper but if you’re wondering how this looks in reality, let me share an example with you.
My family and I went to Tampa last Thanksgiving to visit my brother’s family and celebrate my goddaughter being cancer free. While we were there, we decided to add an extra day to our trip to take our boys to Universal Studios in Orlando, something we’d been wanting to do for a long time.
I’d been to Orlando years before for work and had had the opportunity then to visit the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe. It’s home to my favorite statue of St. Joseph as well as a bunch of other beautiful sacred artwork.
So, when Sunday came around on our trip to Orlando, we decided to go to the basilica for Mass. When Mass was over, we took about an hour to look around the church and pray. Most importantly for me, I was able to share my devotion to St. Joseph with my boys as we admired the statue of him together.
And ultimately, we left this mini pilgrimage feeling more connected to God and to each other because of this extra time we dedicated to the Lord outside the ordinary rhythm of our everyday lives.
How to Go on a Mini Pilgrimage
Mini pilgrimages can be done no matter where you are. Whether you’re on the road or at home, it can be as simple as just picking a church and going to seek God during your time there.
If you’re already traveling or wanting to go on a mini pilgrimage in your area, search for local churches, shrines, and basilicas and then simply pick one to visit. This could be a church with a patron saint that means something to you or a place that the Holy Spirit has put on your heart to visit. (You don’t have to overthink this part of the process. Just choose a place to spend intentional time with God outside of Sunday mass.)
If you know you’ll be traveling and want to do a little more advanced planning, you or your family can pick a patron saint for the trip. You can spend time learning about the saint together before you leave. And then you can schedule time during your travels to go to a sacred space associated with that saint for prayer or adoration.
MassTimes is a great resource to help you find adoration or weekday masses in a specific area.
And for readers living stateside, be sure to check out the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate for a list of churches and shrines across the U.S. Click here to go to their website and select “List of All Shrines by USCCB Regions” to view ones near you.
What to Do on a Mini Pilgrimage
When you’re on a mini pilgrimage, you’ll want to do things that will help you encounter God.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Spend quiet time in front of the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration. After spending time in prayer, journal about what God has put on your mind.
- Reflect on God’s word. Bring your Bible or borrow one from the church, if available. Find a passage, phrase, or word that stands out to you and pray with it in front of the crucifix.
- Pray the rosary. Dedicate this prayer time for a particular intention or person before you begin meditating on the mysteries.
- Enjoy the beauty of the sacred space. Catholic churches and shrines contain sacred artwork that’s meant to help us contemplate and draw closer to God. Spend time in front of any statues, paintings, murals, or stained glass windows you find at your pilgrimage site and listen to where God is calling your attention.
The Call to Go on a Mini Pilgrimage
Whether on a work trip, family vacation, or a normal weekend, mini pilgrimages allow you to encounter God's presence in sacred spaces and deepen your faith — without the extended time, travel, and financial commitments of traditional pilgrimages.
Feeling called to go on a mini pilgrimage? Choose a sacred site and carve out the time in your schedule to be with God. It’s a journey worth taking.
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