This group of young, smiling Franciscan Friars journeyed three hundred miles from Roanoke, Virginia to Washington, D.C. Along the pilgrimage, they were mistaken for Jedi Knight impersonators, slept on picnic tables along the Appalachian Trail, and ministered to people through talking and offering a joyful witness.
These guys went with only the essentials: their habits and a change of underwear and a toothbrush. As Br. Joshua Van Cleef says on the group's blog, "This pilgrimage is about the abundance of life offered in simplicity, in relationships, and in trusting in God.” They did odd jobs for food and shelter, when they weren't sleeping outdoors. "Pilgrimage as a lifestyle is resurfacing within the Order; it is a penitential and radical way of completely relying upon the grace of God," says Br. Richard Goodin on their blog.
The friars were featured on the front page of the Washington Post. You can read the excellent article here. The paper also a wonderful photo essay here. Finally, the paper provides a map of the brothers' journey, as well as the various places the group slept, including a trampoline outside a firehouse, a police academy barracks, and a Baptist church.
Let us pray for many more holy, inspiring vocations to the priesthood and religious life. May these young men live fruitful lives following the footsteps of their venerable founder and fellow walker, St. Francis of Assisi.
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