What is a Pilgrimage?

I am reading Paul Elie's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage." Elie traces the journey of four 20th century American Catholic writers: Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.
At the beginning of the book Elie gives as compelling and descriptive definition of a pilgrimage as I have read:

"What is a pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is a journey undertaken in the light of a story. A great event has happened; the pilgrim hears the report and goes in search of the evidence, aspiring to be an eyewitness. The pilgrim seeks not only to confirm the experience of others firsthand but to be changed by the experience. Pilgrims often make the journey in company, but each must be changed individually; they must see for themselves, each with his or her own eyes. And as they return to ordinary life the pilgrims must tell others what they saw, recasting the story in their own terms. "

Comments

[Robert Benson]

TIM —

Your note reminded me of something I heard the novelist Ellen Douglas say about being a writer ( which is another way to say pilgrim or poet, for that matter. "To be a writer," she said, "is to bear witness to all that you have seen and heard."

Enjoy the book, it is one of my favorites.

Namaste —

R. Benson
thelongpew.com

[Alan Stucky]

Another great book is "The Way is Made by Walking" by Arthur Paul Boers. Definitely worth a read.