The graces from a gravesite pilgrimage

When I hear the word “pilgrimage,” I find myself thinking about a journey to Rome, where one encounters the rich history and beauty of the Catholic Church. People regularly visit the Holy Land, walking in the footsteps of our Lord and praying the mysteries of the rosary where they physically happened. Some pilgrims journey to the Lourdes shrine, where one bathes in the cold, healing waters and experiences the love of our Blessed Mother in a new way.

Going on a pilgrimage to a place in North Dakota however, let alone somewhere in our own diocese, does not readily occur to me. Thankfully, we have, within our Catholic schools, many holy teachers who have a much broader understanding of both where to and how one can go on pilgrimage.

Earlier this fall, Trinity High School religion teacher, Kelli Schneider, helped me see that we could go on a pilgrimage somewhere within our very own diocese thanks to Bishop Kagan opening the cause for the canonization of Michelle Duppong. I thought it was so beautiful how our teachers and students (primarily freshmen) were taking advantage of this blessed opportunity and was overjoyed when I received the invitation to partake in such a holy expedition.

What I found particularly extraordinary about this pilgrimage was just how holistic this formative experience was: mind, body and soul. The students were taught as to how saints are “made” both by learning how the canonization process works, but also by hearing how the Lord worked in Michelle’s life to mold her heart after His own.

The students were able to take in some picturesque views of the North Dakota prairie and have lunch at the farm where Michelle grew up. Additionally, they were fed spiritually in the sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. Ben Wanner, which was celebrated just a short drive away from this farm at the church Michelle so often attended while growing up. We also heard from Renae Duppong, Michelle’s sister, on Michelle’s life and how she lived ordinary holiness. We had the opportunity to visit Michelle’s grave where we offered a decade of the rosary and prayed the litany of saints.

As necessary as it is to learn in the classroom, this pilgrimage was an excellent way to show the students how death does not have the final say—to help them understand St. Paul when he echoes the prophet Hosea: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). By honoring the saints (and those whose cause for canonization is open), we in turn acknowledge that death is not the end, but that which allows us, through the mercy of God, to enter life eternal. We celebrate the saints not only for the amazing things they did in this lifetime, but also for the away in which these good works, together with their faith in the salvation brought about by Christ’s own sacrificial offering, so moved the Lord to offer them the invitation: “Come, share in your master’s joy” (Mt 25:23).

In a new way, the students experienced the dynamic in which we look to the earthly lives of the saints for encouragement as we strive for holiness and ask for their intercession now that they enjoy new life with our Father in heaven. For Christ himself tells us that our God “is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive” (Lk 20:38).
           
I would like to extend an invitation to all of you who want to go on a pilgrimage but do not desire to travel half-way across the world. Please, if you are able, prayerfully consider taking a pilgrimage to visit and pray at the gravesite of Michelle Duppong. Not only is the area around the cemetery exceptionally beautiful, but the grace that the Father desires to pour out upon you through this pilgrimage is even more beautiful.

Steiner is a seminarian studying for the diocese who is currently experiencing a pastoral year serving at the Church of St. Joseph in Dickinson.