Priest to lead pilgrims on 104 mile walk to see Pope Francis in Philly - Here's how you too can make a pilgrimage

An intrepid group of about 20 pilgrims will be making the 104 mile walk from Baltimore to Philadelphia to attend Mass with Pope Francis.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Remember, our Lord walked to all of his appointments," Fr. John J. Lombardi told Catholic Philly about his planned pilgrimage to Philadelphia. Fr. Lombardi will help lead about 20 pilgrims on a walk to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis.

The trek is about 104 miles and will take place in the week before Pope Francis arrives in Philly to attend the World Meeting of Families and celebrate a public Mass for an estimated two million pilgrims.

Some of the pilgrims will be walking, at least part of the distance. And with cars being restricted from most of the city center, people will have to take shuttle buses, then walk at least a moderate distance. However, there are no known groups of pilgrims that are walking over a hundred miles to see Pope Francis except for Fr. Lombardi's band.

Until recently, walking pilgrimages were part of Catholic life. In Europe especially, pilgrims would spend months walking to Rome and back. The experience was always life-altering.

Today, airplanes, trains and automobiles have replaced walking and as a result, people still make pilgrimages but because they put less of themselves in, they get less out. Walking affords time for prayer and meditation. It's conducive to tuning out the world and listening to God. Flying is comfortable and you're tempted to sleep or to watch a movie. The train can be a similar experience with your tablet on hand. Driving, one must pay attention. Only when walking can you devote enough attention to God that you can truly come to hear His voice as you go.

We can all make pilgrimages, and we don't need a papal visit to make them. Everyone knows of a shrine or a cathedral, or some other place of religious significance around them. To walk there, even if it is just a day's exercise, is still meaningful and can change your life.

If a person cannot get so far away, retreat houses, hiking trails, or even walking form your house to your parish could substitute. The important thing is to worship with your whole body as well as with your soul.

For those who still cannot manage these feats, Catholic Online is offering a virtual pilgrimage with stops very few days for prayer. The nine saints of the World Meeting of Families will be honored, in turn, at each stop.

You can join that pilgrimage by clicking the button below.