Higher Adventure: Entering into the Mysteries of the Faith through Pilgrimage

By Eric Heckman - Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

God first! Adventure second! Safety third! This is something I often say at Higher Ground. Actually, it has kind of become a thing. A motto or theme, perhaps. It is not to diminish the importance of safety, but rather to put it in its proper place. Certainly, a priority, but not the most important thing in our lives. That spot belongs to God. Having an open heart to the adventure we experience in our pursuit of him should be second. Bishop Robert Barron unknowingly backed me up in the closing lines of his speech at the U.S. Pilgrims event in Rome we attended at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on July 30th when he said, far better than I ever could, the following: 

“One of the marks of our time is a kind a preoccupation with safety… I am not against safety; we all need a modicum of safety to function. But a religion that puts before our eyes, on a regular basis, a man pinned to a cross, is not a religion putting a high priority on safety. Look at these great stories of the Bible, from Abraham to Jacob, to Jonah, to all the prophets, coming up to Peter and Paul and all the rest of them. They are not putting a high price on safety, no no, they’re interested in adventure, they’re interested in being summoned out beyond themselves. That’s the same call, I think, that Peter and Paul and the Lord Jesus himself, that’s same call they’re giving to all of you.” 

In this Year of Jubilee, ten of us from the Diocese of Grand Island set out on a bit of an adventure: the adventure of pilgrimage. Myself and nine young adult Higher Ground volunteers celebrated the 60th anniversary of our diocesan Higher Ground Retreats by traveling to the Eternal City. In this Year of Jubilee, an estimated thirty-five million pilgrims from around the world will travel to Rome; we joined over a million of them for the Jubilee for Young People July 29th – Aug 3rd.  We walked in the footsteps of numerous saints who had traveled to Rome over the course of two millennia: beginning with St. Peter to St. Francis, and soon to be Saints Carlo Acutis and our Higher Ground Patron, Pier Giorgio Frassati. We were blessed to be able to venerate each of them, among others, at their final resting places.  

We gratefully walked through the holy doors of all four major basilicas, receiving plenary indulgences for ourselves, loved ones, the Higher Ground community and the generous donors that helped make our pilgrimage a reality. What an honor and a privilege it was to experience in a tangible way the treasures of our Catholic Faith. We visited numerous churches in which beautiful works of art fittingly tell the story of God’s plan of salvation. Churches that enshrine the mortal remains of great Saints like Augustine of Hippo, Catherine of Siena and Ignatius of Loyola. Churches where you find relics such as the manger in which the child Jesus laid, the pillar at which he was scourged, and the table at which he instituted the Holy Eucharist. On our knees, we prayerfully climbed the stairs of the praetorium, brought to Rome from Jerusalem by St. Helen in the early fourth century; the very stairs Christ climbed to be condemned by Pilate.  

We also traveled to the town of Assisi, where St. Francis heard Christ tell him to go rebuild the Church. To be honest, the Church has never been the same since. His impact on our collective response to the Gospel is monumental. He is not only a saint that made disciples, his disciples also became saints. They say saints come in clusters, and there is no doubt that is the reality in Assisi. The list of saints coming from there is long. Even our first Millennial Saint, Carlo Acutis, hails from Assisi. The city itself exudes a sense of peace. It remains my favorite place in the world, and I think many of my fellow pilgrims would agree. 

Another key moment for those of us from Grand Island was when we had the chance to pray before the remains of our Higher Ground patron, Bl. Pier Giorgio, who shortly after the publishing of this article will be one of the Church’s newly canonized Saints. Bishop Barron highlighted his impact on the young people of today, pointing to Frassati’s motto of “verso l’alto” – to the heights, sharing that you cannot always see the top of the mountain while you are climbing it. Just so, an important part of the spiritual life is stepping out into the unknown. 

Visiting these places helps bring the reality of our faith to the forefront. It can bring about an interior sense of assurance of the things believed, yet unseen. It should produce a profound response to the truth of the Gospel. Twenty-five years ago, during the Jubilee year 2000, I had one of these divine a-ha’s; a transfigurative moment that changed the way I read the Scriptures. It was in the same basilica we listened to Bishop Barron speak during our pilgrimage; St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. I recall even now kneeling at the tomb of St. Paul, reading his letter to the Romans (in Rome), with his mortal remains only meters away and having the spiritual realization that it is all true. It all happened. God became man, lived among us, died for us, rose from the dead, and his friends gave up their lives to tell the story. His Story. The same story that has been passed down from generation to generation, and that I too was called to share with others. The universal call to hand on the faith, to make an impact for Christ, to bring others into the saving love of God, and to accompany young people in their earthly pilgrimage, as they unpack what they believe and figure out how God desires them to use their gifts. This is what pilgrimage is all about. Entering into the mysteries of the faith. Taking a specific time to engage with God. Offering up our own sufferings and uniting ourselves with others, so we can zero in on what God is doing in our life. Spoiler alert, it is always big. Rarely easy. Rarely safe. Yet dangerously wonderful, and always good. Everything else pales in comparison. Like I said, “Safety third!”  

As for me, the next step in my journey of faith has come. My time as Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Grand Island ended with our pilgrimage to Rome. As you read this, I am beginning a new role in response to God’s call in my life. I will be serving as Director of Missionary Outreach at Franciscan University of Steubenville. My time in the diocese has helped to form me for this next mission, and I want to thank you for allowing me to journey with so many of you. A special gratitude to the entire Higher Ground community, who will always hold a place close to my heart. Hans Urs von Balthasar quipped that “you don’t know who you are until you’ve found your mission.” I continue to pursue my mission; I pray you enjoy the adventure of pursuing yours. May the grace of God fill you with peace. Verso l’alto – to the heights – and safety third! 

“The ability to pray in the presence of our Higher Ground patron, Pier Giorgio Frassati, allowed me to fully understand the heavenly graces that have been poured out through our diocesan retreats” - Killian Heckman

"This pilgrimage showed me that when I open my heart and mind up to the Lord, he helps me to understand the grace and mercy that he has for me, I just have to let him." - Chloe Rankin

"I experienced a profound sense of peace. I was able to trust that God would see us through the good and bad times. Sometimes when I pray I don’t open my heart all the way. But during the pilgrimage I was able to let the Holy Spirit in a little bit more." - Gabe Rief

"The pilgrimage as a whole, opened my eyes to the beauty of God's creation and what He has allowed us to create as well. From the hills and rivers in Italy, to the architecture and decorations of each building, God can be found in all of it. I started the pilgrimage with a very narrow view of life. This has been an eye-opening experience filled with lots of laughter and joyous God moments." - Barbara Pieper

"One word I would use to describe my experience of our pilgrimage was JOY. The joy found among our higher ground community was evident as we encountered God in the beauty of our worldwide Church. Everywhere you went in Rome and Assisi was characterized by the joy of pilgrimage groups from every country. It has rekindled the flame in my heart for mission and a longing that every Catholic may experience that same joy of Jesus Christ!" - Kayla Brion

"I loved exploring the different churches in Rome and Assisi and seeing how much artwork is expressed in them. As an art person I loved seeing the expression and emotions through the art, and to see the different interpretation of Bible stories was beautiful. One of my favorite art works was a statue of the Virgin Mary pierced in the heart by a sword. It showed her suffering and pain while also expressing her trust in the Lord, knowing that his plan would lead to joy." - Gracie Triplett