Sometimes taking a long, expensive trip to a famous pilgrimage site just isn’t a possibility. At least, right now. Maybe it is too hard to come up with the money necessary to go. Or maybe it’s difficult to bank enough vacation hours. Or maybe there’s a virus going around, and everyone has to stay home. Regardless of the reason, going on a pilgrimage may be just a dream while being stuck at home.
No problem–you can take a virtual pilgrimage!
What is a virtual pilgrimage?
Because of the Internet, we have access to so much information about our world. With the technology and media available to us, we can “visit” and “see” many of the world’s famous pilgrimage sites without leaving the comfort of home.
A virtual pilgrimage, then, is an online or electronic trip using technology and media available on the Internet that seeks to simulate the experience of a real pilgrimage.
How can I go on a virtual pilgrimage?
In order to go on a virtual pilgrimage, there are few things required.
Internet Connection
With an Internet connection, you’ll have access to the necessary resources.
Resources
Using your Internet connection, you can find information and media related to the virtual pilgrimage you would like to take. Hopefully the information touches on good historical info as well as good explanations on why the site has sacred significance through its relics, miracles, or art. Look for the answers to “what happened here?” and “what is this thing I’m looking at?”)
Proper Interior Disposition
One temptation when going on a real pilgrimage that requires travel is to treat it more like a vacation. With a virtual pilgrimage, vacationing is a little less tempting.
Remember that a pilgrimage is an act of devotion to encounter God in real places of sacred significance. Encountering God is the goal, even if done virtually.
Where can I go on a virtual pilgrimage?
While the list can go on and on for places to go on an actual pilgrimage in “real life”, a few virtual pilgrimages will be featured here below. The reality is that not every pilgrimage site is set up to allow the faithful, curious, and adventurous to visit there virtually.
There are a few ways to go on a virtual pilgrimage in order to see these places.
Interactive
If you want to click around, much like Streetview in Google Maps, then you can enjoy the following:
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
This is the largest Catholic church in the western hemisphere, and it is adjacent to the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC., USA. On their website, you can take 360 degree virtual tours to see the major sections of the church. You can view the many chapels and oratories found within its Upper and Crypt levels.
Take a virtual tour of the Basilica of the National Shrine here.
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land
As a fun fact: many of the Christian pilgrimage sites in the Holy Land are maintained and run by the Franciscans. The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC., USA is a monastery that tries to capture the feel of the Holy Land while not actually being in the Holy Land. Their main church replicates the general locations found within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and their Bethlehem Shrine simulates the actual shrine in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.
To tour the different areas of the monastery, go here.
Video Tour
Some places offer video tours that you can watch. Or sometimes tour or pilgrimage companies put out virtual video tours so that viewers can get a feel of the location. Some content found online are also more like documentaries. If you would like to sample some, here are a few:
Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey
In northeast Oklahoma, in the middle of nowhere, is a huge Benedictine monastery. Over 40 monks live here, and they live out their Benedictine rules with prayer and working on their church of 1000 acre grounds. Their monastery is rather impressive and has been a slow work in progress as they add to it.
You can learn more and see their monastery with the various videos they have on their website.
St. Peter’s Basilica
Located in Vatican City, this church is the largest in the world and is built over the site of St. Peter the Apostle’s grave where he was martyred. These days, the Pope gives public addresses to the faithful and pilgrims in the square a few times a week. Inside are many chapels including one featuring Michaelangelo’s Pieta and Pope St. John Paul II’s tomb. In the crypt level of the Basilica are the tombs of many past popes as well as the bones of St. Peter. Fun fact: when you first walk in, the central aisle down the middle of the church marks the size of other large churches in comparison to St. Peter’s (yes, you can see the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception marked out!).
There’s much to say about the Basilica, but you can view this informative walking tour to get a good general feel of what it’s like to be inside.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
If the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC is a replica, then the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the real deal. Housed within this Church in Jerusalem are the sites of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. These are marked with chapels and monuments. Different parts of the Church are owned by different classic denominations of Christianity like the Catholics, Orthodox, Coptics, and Armenians.
This video tour from the Jerusalem Experience is a great, short and informative tour of the Church.
A shout out
If you’d like to see videos of lesser-known churches, shrines, and sites, especially in the United States, check out Light & Heavy, a YouTube channel done in vlogger style featuring various sites. Give him a subscribe and tell him I sent you!
More resources will be added later or as requested!
How do I make a virtual pilgrimage more spiritual?
Just as some pilgrimage sites make their resources available online, so do religious communities. A religious community would something like a group of monks in a monastery or religious sisters in a convent. As part of their vows, they commit to times of prayer and worship.
Thankfully, some religious communities make these times of prayer and worship available to us, even online.
A personal favorite here at Pilgrim for Less is the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan USA. In the past several years, they have released several CD’s of heavenly-sounding music. In fact, one of their Christmas albums made the top of Billboard’s charts a few years ago!
Because of COVID-19 in 2020, the Dominican Sisters of Mary have also started live-streaming and recording their hours of prayer and Masses on YouTube.
Check out their video schedule here.
You can also stream some of their albums on Spotify.
…or sample some tracks here:
With all that said, you can make a virtual pilgrimage more spiritual by incorporating sacred music or times of prayer with a religious community.
Another great way is to pray for others! Using your contact list or social media, ask how you can pray for others on your virtual pilgrimage. This is what I do before every pilgrimage.
Other Resources
Before the age of YouTube, taking an online virtual pilgrimage was limited to interactive websites that use sounds, pictures, and text to share the experience. One such site is Good News Ministries’ Virtual Pilgrimage through the Homeland of Jesus. Check it out to follow along with a pilgrimage group in 1998.
Another type of virtual pilgrimage are ministries/apostolates that you can ask to bring the virtual experience in-person to you. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality does just that in order to recreate the Lourdes pilgrimage experience without you ever leaving home. Check them out to learn more.
Bottom Line
With the realization that normal pilgrimages often take lots of time and money, a virtual pilgrimage can be a great way to still experience a pilgrimage site without spending a lot.
And as this article was written amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual pilgrimages are a great activity and solution to still have a pilgrimage experience without leaving the house as most of these places are probably closed in real life to help prevent the virus from spreading.
For parents with young kids at home, a virtual pilgrimage can be a great way to show the beauty of the Christian faith from the comfort of home.
Don’t delay–go on a virtual pilgrimage today!
Where do you want to go on a virtual pilgrimage? Comment below!
For more tips on how to go on more pilgrimages for less time and less money, subscribe to my email list, below!
Featured Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels
JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.
Would like to see a virtual pilgrimage to
Lourdes France