When I heard that 206 Tours was looking for a chaplain for a pilgrimage to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in June I jumped at the chance. It turned out that the people who were leading the pilgrimage were neighbors of mine in Steubenville, Ohio —Tom and Noëlle Crowe. Know your history Tom and Noëlle are the hosts of a podcast called American Catholic History. As Tom kindly shared with me: “Knowing your own history helps you understand your own place in your community and your area. It helps you have a perspective on what sacrifices and struggles people went through to bring the faith to your own area. Catholics and Catholicism are everywhere in our nation’s history.” Catholicism has had a unique place in the history of the southwest, especially in Santa Fe. The history of Catholicism in the city of “Holy Faith” began in 1598, when Juan de Oñate arrived fromNew Spain with 500 Spanish settlers and nearly 7,000 head of livestock. With him came 10 Franciscan priests who established the first Spanish missions in NewMexico. My fellow pilgrims came from various parts of the United States, and we were all of varying nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds. During the four full days of our pilgrimage, we visited the Christ in the Desert By Fr. Angelo Casimiro, MIC 28 Marian Helper • Fall 2022 • Marian.org When most people consider making a pilgrimage, they think about traveling to holy places like Rome, Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, or the Holy Land. As a priest, I have been blessed to go on pilgrimage as a chaplain to many of these sacred sites. However, many do not consider making a pilgrimage in their own country. While it’s great to travel to other countries, we may need to be reminded of the rich history of the Catholic Church here in the U.S. American pilgrimage Father Angelo and pilgrims in the Loretto Chapel before the “Miraculous Staircase.”
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