BY KURT MARTONE, NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
The Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities is offering a virtual pilgrimage to Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis, starting Sunday, Oct. 24. The pilgrimage is available for faculty and staff of all 23 member colleges of the AFCU, which includes St. Bonaventure University.
Debi Haug is the executive director for mission at the AFCU, as well as the pilgrimage coordinator.
“If you cannot go to Assisi in person, then a virtual pilgrimage is the way to go,” said Haug.
As of Tuesday, 27 total people had signed up. Registration for the five-day long event ended on Wednesday. Three faculty and staff members from St. Bonaventure signed on to the virtual trip.
The AFCU offered their first virtual pilgrimage in January of 2021.
Dr. Jean-François Godet-Calogeras is a professor emeritus of Franciscan studies at Bonaventure, as well as one of the pilgrimage leaders.
“The idea was first, that because of the pandemic, the physical pilgrimage was not possible,” said Godet-Calogeras. “We also considered that the physical pilgrimage involves quite a bit of money. If the school does not finance, not everybody can actually pay $4,000 to go on a pilgrimage to Assisi, unfortunately.”
Feedback from pilgrims who attended the last two pilgrimages were well-received by event organizers.
“I do think that the virtual pilgrimages will continue as a possibility for people who cannot afford it – because of money or because of time – to still have an experience,” said Godet-Calogeras. “We have feedback from the pilgrims, that it is not another Zoom session, that it is really a spiritual event.”
Planning a virtual pilgrimage was a different kind of challenge for event organizers.
“It is a lot of coordinating, emailing and making sure that Zoom links are correct,” Haug said.
The pilgrimage lasts two hours each day, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., starting Sunday and ending on Thursday, Oct. 28.
“We really worked together to try to make it a pilgrimage, reflection and retreating type of time together. We encourage all the participants to – if they are signing up – that they really should commit to being there for two hours every day. To commit to being part of the journey together,” said Haug.
While Zoom meetings work for now, Godet-Calogeras feels that something is missing from the experience.
“That’s a big change, of course, because consequently, we cannot eat and drink together, which is part of the experience,” said Godet-Calogeras. “The conviviality of being together, not only on the road, but also around the table.”
Organizers still attempt to make the pilgrimage as close to the feeling of the physical pilgrimage as possible.
“Each day, we gather like we would if we were to live together physically, we gather with some song, some introduction, that this is where we’re going to go today and why,” Godet-Calogeras said.
Videos are used to showcase the real life places that pilgrims visit virtually.
“That helps us to imagine that we are walking to a place. When we arrive at the place, then we have some readings related to that place and the experience. Then some comments that we bring and some interaction between the pilgrims,” said Godet-Calogeras.
While this next trip is only available for faculty and staff, students were allowed on the most recent pilgrimage last spring.
“There were maybe like 15 or 20 students that came. I am glad that students were able to come, but having to commit to two hours a night for a week is kind of a lot for students,” said Haug.
Haug is pleased that she can make an impact on people’s lives.
“I am really grateful that these people are taking the time to come on pilgrimage and I am happy for the [AFCU], that this is something that we are able to offer that has been beneficial to the people that have been able to be on the pilgrimage with us,” Haug said.
Organizers are hopeful that they can offer more virtual pilgrimages in the future.
“In these strange times of pandemic, I have been appreciating the possibilities offered by Zoom, which is a very versatile instrument,” said Godet-Calogeras. “So I’m looking forward to the possibility of not only having another virtual pilgrimage for those who will enjoy it but to go back to the place over there.”
martonkd18@bonavneture.edu
