Marygrace Elson logs her miles for St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City’s Marian Virtual Pilgrimage earlier this month in the church’s gathering space.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
IOWA CITY — St. Patrick Parish is making the 1,896-mile trek to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City this Advent season — without leaving home.
Instead of traveling by plane, train or automobile, parishioners will log miles from walking and other activities through Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The virtual pilgrimage is a way to “honor Mary while promoting health and well-being,” said Lindell Joseph of the parish’s Healthy Habits committee.
The committee regularly plans virtual pilgrimages to promote mental, physical and spiritual health. Healthy Habits member Marygrace Ellson suggested a Marian pilgrimage to highlight and compliment the multicultural parish’s Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations, Joseph said.
Pilgrims can log literal miles from walking, running, swimming or biking or log one mile for participating in an exercise class, praying the rosary, participating in Eucharistic adoration or spending an hour in prayer. A log sheet is located in the gathering space; participants from the parish and elsewhere can also log miles on the parish’s Facebook page. The parish encourages pilgrims to engage in Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations at the church Dec. 11 and 12.
About Healthy Habits
St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City’s Healthy Habits ministry promotes physical, emotional and spiritual well-being through virtual pilgrimages, health fairs, a health resource library, vaccine clinics and a community garden, which provides fresh produce to those in need. “The body is a holy temple of God,” said Joseph, a founding member of Healthy Habits. “We want to make people aware that part of taking care of oneself is the recognition that you’ve been given a body and a responsibility” to care for it. Members include physicians, nurses and other parishioners interested in health and well-being. Healthy Habits meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the church.
