A group of about 20 enjoy the 2nd annual Billings Station Church Walking Pilgrimage ending with Holy Thursday at St. Patrick Co-Cathedral in downtown Billings.
They walk emulating a tradition that started in the 16th century where pilgrimage visited seven of the prominent churches in Rome.
The whole idea is to make Holy Week and Easter that much more special.
“For the sake of his sorrowful passion,” Father John Pankratrz of St. Patrick’s said on part of the walk.
“Have mercy on us and the world,” the group responded.
“Quite a reflection,” said Sue Melder, a member at St. Patrick's. “Gives us lots of time to reflect internally and then just to, it helps our faith grow.
The 14-mile pilgrimage included St. Bernard’s, St. Thomas, St. Francis School, St. Pius X, Central High School, Mary Queen of Peace and St. Patrick's.
“I'm just happy to be a part of it and to be able to walk somewhat in the way that Jesus did and to suffer a little bit for him,” said Sabrina Benner, a St. Patrick’s member.
Father John led special prayers at each stop.
“We're especially thinking about the passion of our Lord,” said Father John. “And it's just a small way to kind of enter into to Christ's suffering and this week of all weeks is the week to do it.”
Pankratz had a chance to walk the actual pilgrimage while he was a seminary student in Rome.
“It was St. Philip Neary in the 1500s,” Pankratz said. “So he was a priest in Rome and he wanted to find a way to get his people to increase their devotion to these big churches in Rome. And so those are again the seven most important churches and so they would walk to all of them.”
And that devotion in Billings culminates with Holy Thursday at St. Patrick's.
“We try to bring a little bit of that devotion and a little bit of that, spirit here,” Father John said.
“Just a really nice feeling of having accomplished this and persevering on our own,” said Melder. “Each of us on our own individual journeys.”
“I'm very excited to finish this journey today and end with mass at Saint Pat's,” Benner said.
