This news article was originally published on the Archdiocese of Regina news page at: archregina.sk.ca/news and is used with permission.

By Deacon Eric Gurash, Archdiocese of Regina

Pilgrims from across Saskatchewan gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Rama on Aug. 14, which also marked the conclusion of the annual St. Philomena Walking Pilgrimage with the Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

The four-day walking pilgrimage began in Yorkton on Aug. 11, the feast of St. Philomena, and wound its way through Good Spirit Park before reaching Rama, where Archbishop Donald Bolen, joined by Bishop Michael Smolinski of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon, presided at the evening liturgy.

In his homily, Archbishop Bolen invited pilgrims to reflect on Mary as the first disciple and the one who carried the presence of God in a unique and intimate way. “Mary doesn’t just have access to God’s temple, Mary holds the temple, which is God… When Mary conceives a child and holds the Word of God within her, she is an ark for this new covenant.”

For many of those who walked, the St. Philomena Pilgrimage to Rama was a profound experience of encounter with God through the intercession of Mary.

Chinwe Ejikeme, who has joined the pilgrimage three times, explained that she was moved to return this year out of gratitude for prayers answered. “Mother Mary truly interceded for me in a petition I presented to her. It was really a journey taken to say thank you, Mother Mary, and also to present other requests.”

St. Philomena Pilgrimage participants walked from Yorkton to Rama Aug. 11-14. (Photo by Tracy Roy, courtesy of the Archdiocese of Regina)

 

She spoke of meeting a friend at the shrine whose life had also been transformed after last year’s pilgrimage. “She told me how Mother Mary interceded for her to get an amazing job and settled all her worries after the walk last year.”

For Chinwe, the pilgrimage has been a way of deepening her faith. “It has [helped] me to know that there would be pains along my path in life, but I should not count the pains but the joys that come after, as long as my faith looks up to God and in the intercession of Mother Mary.”

Deacon David Hudy, who helped establish the St. Philomena Pilgrimage after participating in similar walks in Ontario, reflected on the spirit of the journey and the witness it offers along the way. “Being able to unite a group of people to give something to God, our time, our pain, our worries and cares of the world, I am firmly convinced that a very small amount of good can conquer a much larger amount of evil. The mission of the St. Philomena Pilgrimage is, I suppose, to be one of those little vessels of good.”

He has noticed how the walk has touched not only the pilgrims themselves but also those they encounter along the way. “I’ve seen a change more in the people we meet at our rest stops and overnight stops. While they were always hospitable, I’ve noticed that they have a greater joy in hosting us. Even those who don’t host us will sometimes stop to talk and offer encouragement.”

Many of those who welcome the pilgrims look forward to hearing them sing the simple blessing song, “May the blessing of the Lord be upon you,” over them as a prayer of gratitude and encouragement.

Shrine at Rama, SK

The shrine in Rama, a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France, has been a place of prayer and devotion since 1941, when the first pilgrimage was held there following its construction under the guidance of Father Anthony Sylla, O.M.I. Over the decades, thousands of people from across Canada and abroad have visited the shrine, carrying their petitions and thanksgiving to Mary, who always points the faithful to her Son.

The walking pilgrimage, now an annual tradition since its founding in 2019, has deepened that legacy by drawing pilgrims into an experience of prayer, sacrifice, and community on the road to Rama.

Archbishop Bolen reminded those present for the Vigil Mass of the Assumption of Mary that this feast is not only a celebration of what God has done for Mary, but a promise of hope for each one of us. “To be a pilgrim of hope means not how our world is doing, not how the nation is doing, not how our diocese is doing, not even how we ourselves are doing, but what God is doing and what God promises us. That’s where our hope lies.”

At the conclusion of the Vigil Mass, the archbishop noted that just as the shrine has been a place of prayer and hope for generations, so too the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary points us toward the hope God desires for each of us. “Mary has gone before us, the first of disciples, and she holds us before the Lord, cheering us on, encouraging us to faithfully follow her.”

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Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca.