Make a pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year

In October, I had the joy of leading our Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma pilgrimage to France and accompanying our 22 pilgrims. Pilgrimages are the occasion for a renewal of faith and a strengthening of hope. Hope is very much at the heart of this Jubilee year with is themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”

God’s providence is so evident in the ups and downs of travel, in the unexpected graces awaiting us in the sacred sites we visit and our companions on the journey. This trip was no different.

We were blessed to walk in the footsteps of several great French saints – Saint Catherine Labouré, Saint Louise de Marillac, Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Martin of Tours and others. The architecture was breathtaking at the many cathedrals and shrines where we were privileged to pray and celebrate Mass. Yet just as moving as these holy places were the conversations with fellow pilgrims over shared meals that nourished both body and soul.

One of the highlights, of course, was visiting Lisieux and praying before the relics of the great Saint Thérèse and her parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin. Her basilica, built in the Neo-Byzantine style, is massive and radiant, with 18 side altars donated by nations from around the world. It is the second-most visited pilgrimage site in France, after Lourdes.

Standing there, I was reminded of Thérèse’s core message, that God can accomplish great things through even the smallest acts of love. In life, she desired to be a missionary, but she spent her days hidden in a Carmelite monastery. Now, her “Little Way” has touched the world. She reminds us that humility, trust in God and great love expressed in small acts are all that are required to become a saint.

Our pilgrimage began, fittingly, at Montmartre, where the Basilica of the Sacred Heart stands watch over Paris. It struck me that Saint Thérèse’s own famous pilgrimage to Rome began in that same place. There, our group gathered in prayer and consecrated ourselves to the Sacred Heart before setting out on our journey, as she once did.

As our travels continued, we found ourselves in Normandy. In Bayeux, we celebrated Mass at the ancient cathedral before visiting Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery overlooking the sea. This day was particularly moving for me since my father was a GI who served in France during the Second World War. Standing among the thousands of white crosses was a deeply prayerful moment – a reminder of sacrifice, courage and the cost of freedom.

It was humbling to see how faith endures even in places marked by such sorrow and heroism. That day taught us that pilgrimage also means remembrance, carrying the stories of others close to our hearts as we walk in faith.

From there, we journeyed westward to Mont-Saint-Michel, the breathtaking island abbey that rises out of the tides like a vision of heaven touching earth. For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have climbed its winding steps in prayer. We celebrated Mass in the beautiful parish church within its ancient walls. Walking its ramparts and gazing out at the sea below, I was reminded that our lives, too, are like the tides, rising and falling under the guidance of God’s providence, always returning to him.

Our final days brought us to Solesmes, the Benedictine abbey renowned for its Gregorian chant. There, prayer and beauty are inseparable – every note, every silence an offering of praise. Listening to the monks chanting the ancient psalms, time itself seemed to pause. It was a glimpse of the heavenly liturgy, the worship that never ends.

I had been privileged to spend some time there as a much younger man, and returning reminded me how powerfully God has been at work in my life from then to now. The steady rhythm of the liturgy, day after day and year after year, has sustained me in my own ministry and taught me that fidelity is often where grace is most profoundly found.

Reflecting on all we had seen, from the quiet convent of Lisieux to the windswept shores of Normandy, from the mystical towers of Mont-Saint-Michel to the solemn chant of Solesmes, and many other sacred sites I realized that pilgrimage is not about distance but about depth. It draws us deeper into God’s love and teaches us to recognize his presence everywhere: in joy and fatigue, in laughter and prayer, in grandeur and simplicity alike.

Saint Thérèse herself understood this truth. Reflecting on her pilgrimage to Rome, she wrote:

“I was full of poetic thoughts at the sight of these wonders which I was looking at for the first and last time. But not of regrets; my heart was set on wonders greater than these. I had seen earth’s beauties; now I had no eyes but for the beauties of heaven.” (“Story of a Soul,” ch. XXII)

Looking upon the great basilica in honor of this “little saint,” I was reminded again of her message: God can do great things even through the littlest of acts done with love. Humility and trust in him are the heart of holiness.

Pilgrimage, when done well, delights in the beauties of this world. But even more, it awakens in us a longing for the world to come. Each step, each prayer and each shared meal is part of a greater journey, leading us ever closer to the One who is both our destination and our companion along the way.

I would recommend undertaking a pilgrimage to all the faithful. You don’t need to travel all the way to France to encounter the Lord. We have wonderful places of grace even here in our own archdiocese, including the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, that can awaken the soul to God’s presence. We also have the National Shrine of the Infant of Prague in Prague and the diocesan shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Bison.

Even an impromptu visit to your own parish church reflects this important truth: this life is a journey meant to lead us to God.

I encourage all to make a pilgrimage to one of these or any other pilgrim destination during this Holy Year dedicated to Hope. As Saint Thérèse reminds us, this world is merely our ship, and Heaven is our home.