For many of the faithful, pilgrimage is a natural extension of sacramental life and intellectual formation. This is the path chosen by Penelope Williams, a 71-year-old former Anglican residing in Carlsbad, California. Converted to Catholicism over a decade ago, this retiree is preparing to embark in May on a twelve-day Rhine River cruise, traveling through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland to discover Europe's great cathedrals. This journey will be led by apologists from the media ministry "Catholic Answers," the same voices that once accompanied her spiritual journey.
The journey of this septuagenarian illustrates the impact of Catholic media in contemporary evangelization. Twelve years ago, with no intention of joining the Church of Rome, she happened upon "Catholic Answers Live," an interactive program broadcast on the EWTN network where experts answer listeners' theological questions. This listening, which she now attributes to a direct action of the Holy Spirit, helped dispel many familial prejudices she held towards the Catholic faith. Becoming a devoted listener, then an active benefactor participating in this apostolate's conferences and galas, she was received into the communion of the Church a few years later.
Since her retirement seven years ago, Penelope Williams has used her time and financial resources to deepen her faith through travel. Her itineraries trace a veritable spiritual geography. She has thus traveled to Rome and the Holy Land, and sailed the St. Lawrence River to discover the legacy of early French settlements and North American martyrs, visiting the sanctuaries where these missionary figures worked among indigenous populations and immigrants. She has also followed in the footsteps of Saint Paul during a Mediterranean voyage led by Steve Ray, a biblical scholar and regular EWTN apologist.
These organized pilgrimages offer participants much more than a simple historical discovery. They allow pilgrims to engage with recognized Catholic intellectuals known for their erudition and clarity. The Californian traveler rejoices at being able to listen to and exchange with these speakers, particularly praising the expertise of Christopher Check, the president of Catholic Answers, whom she describes as a remarkable historian. On the ground, the study of Church history is embodied by the repeated visitation of tombs and the veneration of relics of numerous saints. She holds a particularly vivid memory of her visit to the island of Patmos, in the cave where Saint John received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation.
On the spiritual level, the ecclesial dimension of these trips is guaranteed by the continuous presence of a priest. The passengers' days are structured by daily Mass, access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and times of communal prayer. These journeys are, in fact, designed to allow groups to attend Mass in local sanctuaries located along the route.
Beyond the cultural and historical aspects, these worldwide pilgrimages offer this convert the concrete experience of the universality of the Catholic Church. The liturgy, celebrated in foreign countries, transcends the language barrier and allows the faithful to follow the rite with ease. Upon crossing the threshold of any Catholic church abroad, the traveler thus testifies to an immediate sense of belonging, realizing at every stop that she is invariably in the midst of her people.