Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage ends on Saturday, August 15

The Pilgrimage ends on Saturday, August 15

NW Detention Center: 12 to 3 PM

Walking from Fife, if you can...

Celebration and Mass at St Leo's

We will leave St. Martin of Tours at 10:00 a.m. for the 5 mile mile walk to the Northwest Detention Center. We will be vigiling at the Detention Center (and we do have a permit to do so) from 12:00 noon until 3 p.m.  This will include a variety of prayer, including Stations of the Cross for the Migrant Jesus, and music and singing. We will conclude by walking to St. Leo's for Mass at 5 p.m., followed by dinner, graciously and generously provided by St. Leo's. Please let them know if you are coming. 

Special note: food and water will not be available at the detention center.  Bring your own...bring some to share.  There are no bathroom facilities.  We are not able to make accommodations for those who are physically challenged.  We will be on a large (dead-end) street, with a grassy space. We have a prayer service devoted to the plight of immigrants planned.  If you can sing and lead hymns we will have song sheets available, but we need your help in this.  There is no budget for a sound system.  We will have a bull horn.  The pilgrimage is a 143-mile prayer  for a miracle: Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  help us to end with a long and soulful prayer.

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.

Route Segments Link to Maps and Directions

If you look at the latest update to "The Route" post, you will see that each segment is now linked to Google Maps and Directions for that portion of the pilgrimage.  Now you can follow our progress, walk with us for a bit or simply come out to wave as we pass you on our way.  If any of you know a better route for any segment, please send it to us in a comment or e-mail! 

Planning a start time

We have the route here and we are planning to start walking at 9 a.m. each morning. You can call (360) 823-4098 for an update while the pilgrimage is in progress if you would like to join us along the way. We will (God willing) be updating this blog daily along the way, complete with photos.

THE FIRST DAY is following a different schedule. We will start at 3:30 p.m. at Church of the Assumption and walk to Sacred Heart across town (about 3 miles) where we will have Mass at 5:00 and a potluck afterwards in the parish hall. Right now we plan on using the route which Google Maps proposes in their "walking" directions. 

The route

 It's do-able! That was my first, exhilarated thought. Here's a tentative route.  We have walking directions from Google Maps which avoid I-5 and most busy streets.

(updated as of August 13, 2009)

Saturday, August 1, Bellingham
Church of the Assumption to Sacred Heart (3 miles)
Blessing beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Assumption; Mass at 5 p.m. at Sacred Heart. Potluck follows.

Sunday, August 2,  Bellingham to 1/2 way to Burlington
Sacred Heart to the end of the Interurban Trail (about 7 miles).

Monday, August 3, end of Interurban Trail to Burlington
Interurban Trail end to St. Charles (11 miles)

Tuesday, August 4, Burlington to Mt. Vernon
St. Charles to Immaculate Conception (4.5 miles) 

Wednesday, August 5, Mt. Vernon to Stanwood
Immaculate Conception to St. Cecelia's (14 miles) 

Thursday, August 6, Stanwood to Arlington
St. Cecelia's to Immaculate Conception (13.2 miles) 

Friday, August 7, Arlington to Marysville
Immaculate Conception to St. Mary's (11.3 miles) 

Saturday, August 8, Marysville to Everett 
St. Mary's to Immaculate Conception (7.2 miles) 

Sunday, August 9, Everett to Lynnwood
Immaculate Conception to St. Thomas More (12.9 miles) 

Monday, August 10, Lynnwood to North Seattle
St. Thomas More to Christ the King (9.3 miles) 

Tuesday, August 11, North Seattle to Seattle
Christ the King  to St. James Cathedral (8.1 miles) (Mass at 5:30 p.m.) 

and then to St. Mary's (1.8)

Wednesday, August 12, Seattle to Tukwilla
St.Mary's to St. Thomas  (9.5 miles)

Thursday, August 13, Tukwilla to Federal Way
St. Thomas to St. Vincent de Paul (11.6 miles) 

Friday, August 14, Federal Way to Fife
St. Vincent de Paul to St. Martin of Tours (8 miles)

Saturday, August 15,  Fife to Tacoma
St. Martin of Tours to the ICE detention center(5.2 miles)

Vigil at ICE and then Mass, dinner and talking at St. Leo's.