Why Do a May Pilgrimage?
Image by Phil Hearing on Unsplash
This Saturday, we will be travelling to Knock Shrine to do a May Pilgrimage to our Lady. P.S. Although there are no places left for the overnight, you are very welcome to join us on the day in Knock or in Galway for a meal afterwards.
The tradition of the May Pilgrimage dates back to the Middle Ages, when people would travel to holy sites to pray for Mary's intercession. In the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV declared May to be the month of Mary, and the pilgrimage tradition became even more popular. Today, people from all over the world travel to holy sites such as Lourdes in France or Fatima in Portugal to honour Mary and ask for her intercession.
Particularly at the end of the Academic year and the beginning of the Summer, it’s a great moment to place everything in the hands of our Lady and ask her for guidance in our resolve to be close to God. Sometimes we just need to pray for someone/something or about someone/something, and going physically to a Shrine of our Lady helps us to break away from our routine and travel in search of great insights.
HOW to do a may pilgrimage?
Find a local Shrine or Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
You can do this on your own, but of course, it’s nicer if you can invite a friend or family member to pray the Rosary with you.
Bring a Rosary beads and a booklet also helps to follow the Rosary better (see below for links to some good material).
Pray one set of the Mysteries of the Rosary on the way there and another on the way back. Pray the Mysteries of the Rosary for that day of the week, plus the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the Shrine or Church.
It’s helpful to think before and during about a special intention attached to this visit.
There needs to be an atmosphere of prayer and reflection when doing three parts of the Rosary, so it’s better not to include time for a coffee or lunch in the middle. Better to keep it simple and focus on the prayerful and the slightly penitential aspect of this custom.
The Greatest of Saints were the Greatest Fans of the Rosary
There is a humbling feeling when doing a May Pilgrimage - dedicating all this time to praying the three parts, going out of your way to do it, etc. We might be tempted to think if any of this is worth it. The obvious answer is yes, it is worth it.
But this conviction comes also from witnessing the greatest of saints, like Padre Pio, Pope John Paul II or Josemaria Escriva really dedicate to the praying the Rosary despite the many pressing things they had on.
We can learn alot from them and have that trust in the process so to speak, and as St Josemaria said in The Way -
The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you will be amazed at the results.
Resources
Read the devotional guide May Pilgrimages in the Footsteps of St. Josemaria to help you prepare for the pilgrimage (click to download).
How to Pray the Rosary - Hallow App explanation
Credits for this Image - How to Pray the Rosary for Dummies.
Link to Article Here.
To purchase beautiful Rosaries, visit the First Saturday website.
Credit for the ideas in this blog post need to go to the St Josemaria Institute in their article on the Marian Pilgrimages.