Pilgrimage

Day Six: Walking Quietly

Nick and I spent the night in the Youth Room at St.Cecilia's; it is covered in crucifixes - hundreds of them. It is fascinating to visit each of the churches, each so different and expressing very different personalities. Chris, our self-appointed host, arrived early to help us ferry our car to Immaculate Conception and drive us back to our starting point. Marlene called to say she was joining us, and so it was the three of us. 

Immaculate Conception hosted a wonderful potluck dinner, which Lee will report on, and an inspiring short film. Paul and Leanne came up from Olympia to spend the night and start the walk together on Day Seven. You, too, can join us! 9 a.m. (Posted by Mary)

Day Five: Feeling Frisky

What perfect walking weather! "Marine push", our natural air-conditioning, was an extra blessing for our longest day of 14 plus miles. Lorena, who has worked in the fields herself, made us a banner and walked for a couple of hours with us. (Her banner is above, but I missed getting a photo of her. ) Silvario walked with us, carrying a collage of his work in the migrant camps. As we walked, he pointed out fields he himself had worked in. His children eventually came by and picked him up, which left Bob and Sherry, Nick and myself. My father drove support car all day. He scouted out a great place for lunch, tucked inside of a roadside nursery. (Mashed sweet potato sandwiches any one? it was delicious.) Then we were joined by Christopher, a St. Cecilia's parishioner, with his friend Eric, who came out to welcome us on the road. You can see him kicking up his heels in the photos to the right. 

Marie and Dale Hedden drove an hour in traffic from Bothell to offer us a dinner of Caesar and mandarin chicken salads topped with watermelon and cookies freshly baked by her daughter. It was such a feast in the parish hall! Fr. Lawrence missed this, but opened up the doors for us to spend the night. We are grateful for the hospitality. (posted by Mary)

Want to join us sometime on Thursday, August 6th? CORRECTION. The priest came by at 6:30 a.m. this morning to let us know that there will be no Mass. We'll leave at 9 a.m. He blessed the cross given to us at St. Charles' parish. Mass begins at 9 a.m. at St. Cecelia's. After Mass, we are driving east to the junction of Washington route 532 and Washington route 9, and then walking south on route 9 to Arlington. We should arrive early, but the potluck at 6 p.m. and an inspiring video afterwards. 

Day Four: Stations of the Cross

Today's walk began with a very moving Stations of the Cross which related the stations to the circumstances of migrants today.  It was very moving, because we had a number of people engaged in ministry with migrant workers and their families praying with us, as well as a few of the young people who walked with us the day before.

As we walked out from St. Charles Church, we were joined by some immigrants and their families, and people who are familiar with the outreach minister, Jose Ortiz, waved and greeted him as we passed them.  Our route took us under I-5, the freeway our route parallels for most of the way, and through some residential neighborhoods to Burlington Boulevard, which runs for several miles through strip malls featuring every chain store and big box store imaginable.  As we passed a Wal-Mart, I thought of all the poor people who both depend on Wal-Mart and are exploited by the company.   About three-quarters of the way along, we turned off the shopping strip and walked along the Skagit River to a small camp for migrant workers--the pilgrims walked through the camp and then turned back for the last climb up to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mount Vernon. 

The contrast between the mall traffic and commercial cornucopia with the nearly deserted and destitute camp underlined how we who are middle-class or wealthy do not see the poor and oppressed who make us comfortable.  The camp is less than a half-mile from the strip malls, but none of the people working or shopping seem aware of its existence, much less of the labor and lives of the people who enable us all to eat this area's rich produce.  The migrant's stations of cross seems very real to me tonight. (posted by Nick)

We realized we had a crowd and we were without lunch, since I had told Immaculate Conception that (a) we would arrive early since it was such a short walk and (b) there were only a few of us, so please don't worry about lunch. Wrong on both counts. Around noon, as we walked I began to worry, and the phone rang - Margaret Brakel-Pierce. "Both my meetings were canceled today and I'm free! What do you need?" I looked down the curving road and counted ..."We need lunch for 22 - in about an  hour." "Not to worry," she said. "Subway sandwiches ok?" and it was wonderful. (10 minutes later Gerry Coleman called and asked if there was anything we needed - she was ready and willing. But we'd had our miracle for the day. (posted by Mary)

*Tomorrow, we depart Immaculate Conception, Mount Vernon, at 9:00 am, to walk to St. Cecilia's Church in Stanwood, our longest walk of the pilgrimage.  Please come to Immaculate Conception by about 8:45 am to pray and walk with us.  Or, call Mary's cell phone if you are late:  360-820-4958. *

Day Three: A Long Walk

Today, after praying in a parking lot which overlooked Samish Bay, we walked out of the Chuckanut Ridge complex into Skagit Valley.  The first miles were quite pleasant as we walked through fields with Mount Baker to our left and fields and the shore to our right.  As the sun climbed, the ten or so walkers began to feel the miles and the heat.  After seven miles or so, we turned toward a migrant worker camp where we were met by a group of about 30 middle and high school youth, their chaperones, and four college students who are filming a documentary about the lives of migrant agricultural laborers.  

All of us processed through the camp carrying a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, two white crosses and many prayers.  Then we all set off on the last few miles of today's walk, to St. Charles Church in Burlington, WA.  While we were still walking, the parish priest, Fr. Tom McMichael, came out to welcome us and walk with us to the church.  He then welcomed us with prayer, a blessing and a hymn.  The Youth Migrant Project, which introduces students to food justice issues, presented us with one of the white crosses, which they had signed.  Then we all sat down to a wonderful meal of beans, rice, meat and tortillas--just what we needed after a long, hot walk!  

St. Charles is the first church we are staying the night, and so we are most grateful for their warm welcome and gracious hospitality.  Especially thanks to Youth Migrant Project coordinator Jose Ortiz!

(posted by Nick)

It was a long, hot day, today… Day Three on our pilgrimage.  

Ten people began this day with prayers on Chuckanut Drive, led by Bruce Radke.  We celebrated the gifts of various pilgrims…Our “Wardrobe Mistress” brought three cute outfits for one of us who needed cool hiking clothes.  A leader of “Sacred Ambience” emerged, who brought us 6 artifacts from her round-the-world travels, reminding us of the purpose of our pilgrimage. The Popsicle Lady saved the day as she distributed icy delicious fruitsicles to pilgrims in the last half-hour before lunch.  And the lunch lady who gave us PB&J sandwiches and apple slices saved our stomachs.

 

We paused in the shade of a large tree in a school yard and then met up with 30 kids from Migrant Youth Project--a wonderful week-long experience in social justice for middle-school kids from St John Vianney Church (Kirkland)--at St Charles Church in Burlington, led by Jose Ortiz. 

 

Jose led all 40 of us through a migrant workers camp (where we used their bathrooms).  Four college students who are making a documentary about migrants—and have done some tomato-picking in California before coming to Washington—also joined us for a long, hot stretch of Skagit County. The kids carried signs saying “Reform Not Raids”, “Fair Pay”, “Reform Immigration”, “If You Want Peace, Work for Justice,” and two white crosses.  Two women from the Latino radio station also interviewed some of the pilgrims.

 

 It took us almost two hours to reach the Church!  We found quiet restful peace in the Church, where Jose led us in prayer, and Father Michael blessed two crosses that remind us of the many people who die trying to better themselves by crossing the border. “No More Death” the cross says, and was made and signed by all the Youth Campers.  It was a sacred and touching moment when Jose presented the crosses to Nick and Mary. The second one is to be given to Rosalinda Guillen, for Community 2 Community. Afterward, we had a tasty meal of homemade burritos, and lemonade.

 

Nick and Mary are spending the night at the Church; the rest of the pilgrims have gone home to Bellingham, but others are coming to  join tomorrow.  (posted by Lee)

Tomorrow, August 4, we walk to Immaculate Conception Church in Mount Vernon, just about five miles away, still in the Skagit Valley.  Youth group members and some lay ministers will accompany us, and you are welcome too!  We depart St. Charles at 9:00 am.  If you can only come later, either call Lee at  360-661-2965 or Mary at 360-820-4958. 

  

Day Two: a pleasant walk

“The goal of human life is to bring relationships into right order, for when this happens peace and justice prevail.” Globalization, Spirituality and Justiceby Daniel G. Grody, p.24. 

 

This pilgrimage is an opportunity for a few people to try to bring our, the US’s, relationship with immigrants from around the world into right order.  The current order is broken.  That said, the pilgrimage is prayer-ful walking….with people from several religious persuasions…including “none of the above.” About 18 people joined the pilgrimage today.

 

Day Two was a pleasant walk on the interurban trail.  Unlike yesterday, we didn’t have to remind ourselves that the journey in the sun of Bellingham was still much cooler and much shorter than many walk to get to Whatcom County to work in the fields here.  Instead, we left Sacred Heart Church at 10 AM, and walked through the forest for about seven miles.  Some folks dropped off when they reached the limit of their stamina or strength.  Others traveled together up and down through Arroyo Park  all the way to Larrabee State Park.  Pilgrims’ spouses and people from the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship offered rides back to Bellingham.  We were grateful for cell phone technology which makes the logistics of this project so much simpler than it might be. 

 

We will be walking through a migrant camp tomorrow.  Many people will be working, and unable to join us, except in spirit.

 (posted by Lee)

To join us on Day 3: we are meeting at Chuckanut Manor Inn, near Blanchard Road at 9 a.m, which will be our starting time every morningfor the rest of the pilgrimage. Jose Ortiz from St. Charles is meeting us there with about 30 middle school kids on a misson trip. At around noon we hope to be at a school near Cook RD. Keep up with us either call Lee at  360-661-2965 or Mary at 360-820-4958. 

Day One: An Excellent Beginning

Close to 30 people walked the first leg of our pilgrimage, from Assumption Church to Sacred Heart Church, about three miles.  We began with a prayer service using symbols--a  globe, a statue of a woman from South America, some Hebrew Scripture and an African cross.  We pilgrims received a blessing under the large steel cross outside the church from Kathy Ernst, pastoral associate, and set off.  The weather was hot and sunny but we were well provided with water and hats and tried to keep to the shade where we could.  Several people joined us en route, thanks to cell phones.   We had allowed up to two hours for the walk, not knowing much about our stamina, but we arrived at Sacred Heart about 30 minutes ahead of schedule.  At Mass, one of the prayers was for our pilgrimage and another for displaced persons. Fr. Qui Thac asked the walkers to stand and prayed another blessing over us. 

Then we walked across the street to the Parish Hall for a potluck dinner--many thanks to all who provided food and especially to Paula Mallahan.  Fr. Qui Thac said a few kind and encouraging words before sitting down to his supper.  Jim Thomas from the Seattle Archdiocese had walked a pilgrimage from Bangor, WA, to Bethlehem in the 1980s and shared his reflections on pilgrimage and its relevance to immigration reform and then played a slide show about the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage which moved everyone in the hall.  A short time of dialogue, and then we all packed up and returned to our homes for the night.

Tomorrow morning, we return to Sacred Heart to walk the second, longer leg of our journey.  We will begin from outside the Parish Hall on 14th and Knox in Bellingham, and walk the Interurban Trail to the Clayton Beach Parking Lot off Chuckanut Drive.  If you want to join us for all or part of our walk, please be at Sacred Heart by about 9:40 am tomorrow, or contact us by cell phone after 10:00 am--either call Lee at  360-661-2965 or Mary at 360-820-4958. 

posted by Nick

Today we begin...

Church of the Assumption. Gathering at 3 o'clock or so, blessing at 3:30 and we leave promptly for Sacred Heart . Mass at 5:00. Blessing at the end. Potluck at 6:00, across the street in the parish hall.