Planning is well underway for WPC’s pilgrimage to Assisi next April. Thirteen members and friends have already committed to the journey, and as our group begins to take shape, we want to share a little more about what makes this experience different from a traditional trip or tour.
We will certainly visit beautiful churches, walk ancient streets, and see remarkable works of art. But those experiences are not the destination. This journey is a pilgrimage.
A tour is designed to help us see new places. A pilgrimage invites those places to change us.
Traveling with Intention
For centuries, Christians have made pilgrimages to places where the lives of faithful people continue to bear witness to God’s presence. Pilgrims travel not simply to learn history, but to deepen their own relationship with Christ.
We will journey with prayerful intention, allowing time for worship, silence, conversation, and reflection as we consider how God may be calling us to live more faithfully.
Throughout our week together, we will walk in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare, visiting places where they prayed, served, and encountered God. As we learn about their lives, we will encounter Francis’ radical trust in God’s provision, his love for creation and compassion for the poor, and Clare’s steadfast faith, courage, and commitment to prayer.
Nearly 800 years later, their witness still raises questions for our own lives: What does it mean to follow Christ with simplicity? How do we live with greater compassion, generosity, and joy? Where is God inviting us to trust more deeply?
Hospitality as Part of the Pilgrimage
Even where we stay will be part of the experience. Rather than a traditional hotel, we will be welcomed into a Franciscan convent, where we will experience the gracious, generous spirit of Christian hospitality.
The simplicity of the accommodations, shared meals, and peaceful rhythm of the community become part of the pilgrimage itself, reminding us that Christian hospitality is not about luxury, but about receiving one another as gifts from God.
Praying with Our Feet
This pilgrimage is not a retreat in the traditional sense either. We will not withdraw from the world; instead, we will engage it differently.
We will pray with our feet as we walk the hills and streets of Assisi, worship in sacred places, share meals and conversation, and allow the stories of Francis and Clare to shape our own faith.
If you have been intrigued by the idea of traveling to Assisi but wondered whether this was simply a sightseeing tour of Italy, we hope this gives you a better sense of the journey we are preparing to make.
There is still room to join the WPC pilgrims already preparing for April. If you long for an opportunity to step away from the busyness of daily life, listen more deeply for God’s voice, and return home renewed in faith, we invite you to prayerfully consider joining us.
We believe this pilgrimage will be far more than a memorable journey to Italy. It will be an opportunity to encounter Christ in fresh ways—and perhaps discover that, along the way, God has been walking with us all along.
Ready to Join Us?
There is still room for additional pilgrims to join us in Assisi next April. If you’re ready to make the journey, register online using the button below.
REGISTER FOR THE ASSISI PILGRIMAGE
Have questions or want to talk more about the experience? Pastor Pam would be glad to talk with you. Speak with her at church, call the church office at 757-229-4235, or email .
–Pastor Pam Hrncir
