That’s probably not exactly how it happened, but through the enthusiasm of my leaders and the generosity of my parents and grandparents, I was blessed to end up on a plane to Rome in the summer of 2000 — a trip which I later documented in my first-ever article in The Miscellany, in fact.

At 17 years old, the experience of “pilgrimage” was formative. I have memories of our leaders explaining that this wasn’t a vacation. It was a spiritual journey, and the jubilee celebrations happening all over the world that year were to serve as a reminder that our hope and home was not this world but eternal life with Christ in heaven.

It was a significant experience, so much so that the idea of being on pilgrimage became a lifelong goal for me. I am always striving to keep first in my mind that heaven is my home and that each day — whether it’s spent at Church, doing dishes or at work — is a journey towards this destination.

Many friends are taking pilgrimages overseas for this jubilee year. However, if you are in the same era that my family finds themselves in with travel — young children who require a significant amount of Goldfish crackers and frequent and familiar potty breaks — pilgrimage can still happen, even if the Holy Doors in Rome cannot.

In a letter to the faithful of South Carolina (which can be found at charlestondiocese.org/jubilee2025), Bishop Fabre encouraged everyone to participate in this year of pilgrimage. Acknowledging that Rome or the Holy Land might not be feasible for all, Bishop Fabre decreed that the plenary indulgence for pilgrims could also be obtained by visiting the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, the Basilica of St. Peter in Columbia, St. Mary Church in Greenville and St. Mary, Help of Christians Church in Aiken. Taking the time and energy to make a spiritual trip — even if it’s to Greenville, Charleston, Columbia or Aiken — can do so much to orient our attention to our hope for eternity.

Other trips of spiritual significance than can offer this shift in attention could include a trip to the location where we received our sacraments — like the church of our baptism, first Communion or confirmation. (Or, in the case of many of us who received our sacraments in the late ’80s — while St. Francis by the Sea in Hilton Head was being built — giving a nod to the Crazy Crab restaurant or primary school cafeteria where we received our first Communion).

In addition to visiting our personal sacramental sites, spiritually significant trips can include making plans to witness the vows of a religious community or holy orders or making a visit to a eucharistic congress or conference. Any time set aside to recall that heaven is our ultimate destination — and all we do on earth is ultimately oriented to that — is worthwhile!

As we make our summer plans, we can ask ourselves how these spiritual destinations can be included in our travels. We can’t all get to Rome, but  we are all on a journey to heaven and there are many ways to include pilgrimage in our lives.