A number of folks are doing the Walk to Mary on the first Saturday in May. For 10 consecutive years people have walked from the National Shrine of St. Joseph on the campus of St. Norbert college to the Champion Shrine. The full distance is 23 miles but some will walk only 7 or 14 miles. This will be the first time I will participate in the Walk to Mary. Hundreds, if not thousands, walk this one-day event every year.

There is another pilgrimage opportunity coming up June 12-16. Registration is now open for my 2023 Walking Pilgrimage. This will be my 12th annual trip to the shrine in Champion, WI. The full pilgrimage will take 5 days and cover 55 miles. We begin on Monday, June 12th at Sacred Heart Parish in Shawano. We will walk 11 to 13 miles each day. This pilgrimage is modeled after the famous Camino in Spain. Accommodations will be provided each night, mostly in church basements. Food will be provided along the way. God willing we will arrive at the Champion Shrine on Friday, June 16th, and celebrate a closing Mass at 3:30 PM. There are five ways you can participate.

  1. Walk all week. Cost is $100 and possibly some blisters. Pilgrims will want a backpacking backpack. You will need a sleeping pad and bag as we will be sleeping in church basements or similarly spartan accommodations. Other items in the backpack will be water, rain gear, a change of clothes and personal care items. All week walkers over age 55 will need to get a doctor’s signature to say they are fit to participate (unless they already have one of my pilgrimages under their belt).
  2. Walk a day or two. Participants are welcome to walk just Monday, just Friday, or both Monday and Friday. You get the feel of a pilgrimage without having to spend the night sleeping on the floor in a church basement. Cost is $20 per day.
  3. Ride the bus on Friday. We are organizing a bus option that will depart Antigo on Friday morning, June 16th and make a few stops on its way to the Champion Shrine. Participants will attend the closing Mass Friday at 3:30 PM and then return home. Cost is $50.
  4. Make food. The pilgrims will need breakfast, lunch, and supper each day. You can make food and drop it off, or someone will drop it off for you. Call the St. John office or email father@pilgrimpriest.us
  5. Come to the opening Mass on Monday or the closing Mass on Friday. No registration required.

Start: Monday, June 12 with 9:00 AM Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, 302 S. Main St. Shawano, WI

Finish: Friday, June 16 with 3:30 PM Mass at Champion Shrine, 4047 Chapel Drive, New Franken, WI

All are welcome to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, May 3, at 5:30 PM at St. John’s Hoffmann Hall (415 6th Ave, Antigo, WI). Applications are due May 15. You can register online at: https://tithe.ly/event-registr...

¡Buen Camino!

Fr. Joel