The Pilgrimage for the Restoration

Confession along the way of the pilgrimage.

Last Saturday, under nearly perfect weather conditions, the annual Pilgrimage for the Restoration concluded with a march of some 7 miles from the Shrine of Bl. Catherine Tekakwitha in Fonda, NY to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville NY. Certainly great enthusiasm was shown by the, on the average, very youthful pilgrims. The pilgrimage concluded with a Solemn Mass in the Coliseum church of the Shrine. For those who returned on Sunday, there was a moving Low Mass in the old chapel of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs that revealed how magnificent this form of the Traditional liturgy can be.

My other remarks would be similar to those of last year. (The Fourteenth Pilgrimage) It seemed that the number of pilgrims was even fewer this time (300-400 at most). This Pilgrimage lacks the deep historical tradition that underlies its model of Chartres. Yet it seems clear that North American Traditionalists need a major demonstration of numbers of their own. Or do they think that with Summorum Pontificum:

“the strife is o’er, the battle won”?

If so, they are very mistaken.

I would suggest that the organizers make efforts to develop further the concluding liturgy by exploring the celebration of a Pontifical Mass. Certain groups that originally participated are no longer present for whatever reason; other major Traditionalist organizations seem totally unaware of this event. The organizers of the Pilgrimage need to get in direct contact early with representatives of these organizations and parishes to recruit more participants for next year and to find out what is going on. There are some more technical points as well: for the first time this year I noticed that the sermon and some of the singing (the gradual, for example) were inaudible from certain spots in the church.

For some very promising competition north of the border see HERE. The website of the Pilgrimage is HERE.

The chapter or “brigade” of Una Voce Westchester.

Some familiar faces from St. Mary’s, Norwalk.

The goal: the entrance to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs.

The distance to be covered on this day may not be all that great, but the effort is certainly increased if one has to push or carry small children.

The schola.

The clergy are members of the Institute of Christ the King, which seems to be specializing in providing liturgical direction at major Traditionalist “events.” (The Institute was also the most prominent participant among the clergy in this year’s Chartres pilgrimage.)