Pilgrimage
“Pilgrim” comes from the Latin word peregrinus (per, through + ager, field, country, land), which means a foreigner, a stranger, someone on a journey, or a temporary resident. It can describe a traveler making a brief journey to a particular place or someone settling for a short or long period in a foreign land.
Most religions have some form of pilgrimage. Pilgrims often make a journey to a place that is holy, where a miracle occurred, or the place where a holy person lived and died.
Early Christians sought to encounter the Risen Christ by walking in the footsteps of Jesus in Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land. Over the centuries, the transforming power of pilgrimage was discovered in other paths and destinations around the Christian world, including the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the way to Canterbury, places such as Fátima, Lourdes, Lindisfarne, Iona, Taizé, and many more. While we may occasionally make longer pilgrimages far away from home, we also might make spiritual pilgrimages closer at home—such as praying the Way of the Cross, walking a labyrinth, or visiting a local place of spiritual significance.
Local pilgrimages
Saturday, August 10, 2024
2:00 PM Seneca Village (Central Park, New York City)
Discover Seneca Village, the largest community of free African-American property owners in pre–Civil War New York. On this tour, visitors will read the physical landscape of Seneca Village to understand the particular value it provided to Black New Yorkers seeking refuge from the crowded conditions and racial discrimination prevalent in early 19th Century NYC.
Advance registration and payment is required. Cost is $33 and registration is through Central Park HERE.
If you’d like to walk to Seneca Village with Father John, meet in the church garden at 1:00 PM and we will walk together to West 85th Street and Central Park West. The walk takes about 35 minutes, but this allows us time, find restrooms, if necessary, and to arrive by 1:45 PM, as requested.
In the planning stages
Footsteps of Mother Seton (Lower Manhattan, New York City)
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 — January 4, 1821) was raised in the Episcopal Church and later converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1975, she was made the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized in the Roman Catholic Church. The Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton at Our Lady of the Rosary Church is housed in a landmark building connected to colonial times through the sanctity of St Elizabeth Ann Seton who lived here.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Upper Manhattan, New York City)
The Latin word cathedra means chair, and in the church world, refers to the building where the Bishop’s “chair” is located. St. John the Divine, the world’s largest Gothic religious building, is the Cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Join us as we explore the many highlights of the Cathedral’s history, architecture, and artwork, from the Great Bronze Doors to the seven Chapels of the Tongues. Learn about the daily services, events, and programs that welcome and inspire visitors from around the world.
Walking the Camino
June 3-13, 2025
The last 100 kilometers of the Camino Francés from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela
With the Rev. John Beddingfield and the Rev. Deacon Pam Tang
The Camino Francés is one of the oldest and most famous routes of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, originating in France and stretching over almost 800 km. Our pilgrimage will involve walking the last 100k of the Camino Francés from Sarria to Santiago. This same path has been taken for over 1300 years by pilgrims making their way to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the burial site of St. James the Apostle. The journey is steeped in religious, historical, and cultural significance.
Our 2025 pilgrimage will be limited to 12 people.
Cost: $3590 (land only), $4690 with airfare from NY, NY (JFK)
Package Includes:
All overnight accommodations (double occupancy)
All ground transportation
Luggage transfer between stops (1 bag per person, up to 20kg/44lbs)
Seven days walking pilgrimage
Pilgrim passports/credentials
Spiritual guidance, regular worship, and faith-deeping experiences along the way
Pre-pilgrimage preparation
Resources
Whether you’d like to read more about pilgrimage or begin to prepare for a specific journey, American Pilgrims on the Camino provides support and community. An especially helpful resource is Pilgrimage Planning.