By Peter Rao ’24
On Thursday, September 22, over fifty students from Thomas More College left campus to participate in the annual Pilgrimage for Restoration. This trek through upstate New York covers sixty-one miles in three days, beginning at the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament and ending at the Shrine of Our Lady’s Martyrs of New France in Auriesville.
The pilgrimage began early Friday morning, at 5:30 a.m. Hundreds of pilgrims gathered into their brigades and assembled for morning Mass. Then, after a quick breakfast and several minutes spent warming up in the brisk September air, it was finally time to step off.
At the beginning of each day, every brigade has the opportunity to raise their cheer—a unique call-and-response catchphrase associated with its name. The College’s brigade, “San Fernando y Santa Isabella,” being one of the largest, has a thunderous and memorable cheer. Lined up in pairs behind their banners, the students began their three-day march accompanied by the sounds of horns, yells, and conch shells in this manner:
Brigadier: San Fernando! All: Orb and sword!
Why are we here? We were implored!
Implored by whom? By Christ the Lord!
Penance, penance, penance! Penance is stored!
Stored for what? For our reward!
¡Viva Christo Rey! ¡Viva, viva, viva, que viva!
As they began the first leg of the journey, brigade leaders reminded the company of the importance of having a clear intention in mind as they walked the pilgrimage. Christopher Walters ’23, one of two brigadiers for “San Fernando y Santa Isabella,” commented on this necessity. “It really helps to have an intention. If you go on pilgrimage for fun or simply for its own sake, it becomes pointless. If you do it for other people or for the conversion of a country, the struggle becomes more important. God can take your small acts of suffering and turn them into something beautiful.”
Over the three days, pilgrims were encouraged to take advantage of the spiritual resources available, both while walking during the day and in the evening at the campsites. Many priests were present to hear confessions, give brief reflections, or talk to anyone seeking spiritual guidance. In addition, the Rosary was prayed at least three times a day, whether spoken or sung. When morale seemed low, the College’s brigade would often break out into song, reinvigorating those who might have been struggling.
As a brigade leader, Mr. Walters found it sometimes challenging to lift people’s spirits and help in the way they needed. “You don’t know how much you’re helping, or even if you’re helping at all. Sometimes, though, you do something and, without realizing it, give a person exactly what they need. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses,” he concluded, “and those are balanced out when everyone helps.”
Anna Yost ’26 noticed something similar during her pilgrimage experience. “When you’re marching,” she said, “you see certain gifts that people have. There were a few people who never seemed to be in pain and always remained cheerful. That’s why pilgrimage gives natural leaders a chance to step up.” Miss Yost also explained that she was “very surprised how happy you can be despite being in such pain. Going on pilgrimage,” she continued, “is different from a lot of other penances because you’re accomplishing something in addition to suffering. You’re going from point A to point B.”
For many this September, that “point B” carried a more significant weight, as this year’s pilgrimage was the first to end at the shrine in Auriesville since 2019. As Mr. Walters explained, “Going to Auriesville was more momentous than pilgrimage in Pennsylvania,” the ending site of the previous year’s event, “because you can trace the history of the martyrs and follow in their footsteps.”
After three long days of strenuous walking, the brigade finally gained sight of the last stretch. As the rain began to fall, they proceeded up the steep hill, past the shrine, and continued to walk towards the ravine—the burial ground of St. René Goupil. The students walked down into the ravine in silence, remained in prayer for several minutes, and received a blessing with a relic of the True Cross. Eventually, they returned to the shrine for Sunday Mass, where they reverenced the relics of the North American Martyrs: St. Isaac Jogues, St. René Goupil, and St. John Lalande. Following Mass, pilgrims reformed their sections one final time and officially ended the pilgrimage with their brigade cheers.
The Pilgrimage for Restoration is a demanding yet beautiful experience, and an excellent opportunity for students who are invested in or curious about their faith. Even more remarkable is the fact that Thomas More College students can attend not just as individuals but as a community from a Catholic college that cares deeply about the restoration of Christian culture.
