Pilgrimages Around the World
After returning from the Camino, I began to walk everyday as a way to reflect on myself and connect with God.
— Kimmy Kavanaugh, Class of 2016
Why do we go on pilgrimage?
We live in a world that is full of input. We are plugged in, yet we long for space and depth. Pilgrimages invite us to leave technology behind and take the sacred time to go within ourselves. The outward journey, walking a sometimes-difficult physical path, leads to an inward journey. This most important journey offers us the opportunity to discover what (or who) we ultimately seek in so many other places: God.
Campus Ministry invites students on this journey in a particular way through pilgrimage experiences. Entering into a journey that has already begun in their hearts and souls, they spend intentional time preparing for and taking a particular journey in order to open themselves more fully to the gentle movement of the Spirit. Pilgrimage does not expect specific results or profound insights — rather, it is about awareness of and engagement with the larger journey of becoming one’s best self, the fullness of the person God has created. The pilgrimage, then, does not end but continues beyond the return home.
Information about future pilgrimage opportunities will be posted on this page when available. Please contact ministry@up.edu with any questions.
For academic year 2026-2027, Campus Ministry will be attending World Youth Day in August 2027. Registration closes on September 30, 2026. Please contact Kayla Garchar at garchar@up.edu for more information.
Recent Pilgrimage Sites
- Rome & Assisi - May 2026- El Salvador - May 2019
- Camino de Santiago, Spain - May 2018
- Moloka'i, Hawai'i - May 2017
- World Youth Day, Krakow Poland – July 2016

