Due to this teaching, people have actually suffered enough physical harm to
require hospitalization during their pilgrimages to honor the Mother of God.
ìAccording to legend, St Patrick prayed at the summit of
Croagh Patrick, a 765 [meter] peak overshadowing Westport,
County Mayo, Ireland, for the 40 days of Lent. On the last
Sunday of July each year vast crowds of devout Catholics
(60,000 was the figure recorded in one year) of all ages climb
to the summit for a penitential Mass, some with feet
bloodied from struggling barefoot up the slopes.î 22 (emphasis
mine)ìEach year millions of people from across Mexico and around
the world make pilgrimages to the Shrine of Our Lady of
GuadalupeÖa well-dressed man demonstrates his reverence
by approaching the church on his knees. The most devout
pilgrims, including old women, used to crawl about two miles
on their knees to the shrineÖSome went directly from the
church to the hospital to repair their damaged knees.î 23
(emphasis mine)Sometimes, they have to walk great distances to show their devotion.ìThis Pilgrimage [in France] dates back to the Middle Ages. It
has been made by kings (such as King Louis XIV), Queens
(such as Mary Queen of Scots), and Saints (such as Joan of
Arc). The famous, the lowly, the noble and the commoner
have made this 72-mile walking pilgrimage from Notre Dame
in Paris to the great Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame de
Chartres. The Pilgrimage was held in honor of Mary, the
Mother of God, for the purpose of the restoration of the
traditional Mass and Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
This Pilgrimage is extremely difficult! It is a 72-mile, 3-day
walk from Paris to Chartres ñ They develop horrible blisters
and they suffer unbelievable fatigue.î 24 (emphasis mine)In New Mexico, USA the faithful will sometimes walk well over 100 miles during
Easter Week to visit El Santuario de Chimayo, (a Catholic Sanctuary in the
northern part of the state), for a few grains of holy sand. I can personally testify
that over the 10 plus years I lived in New Mexico, I have seen literally thousands of
people walking along Interstates 25 and 40 on their way to Chimayo. Seemingly,
with no regard for their safety or that of their offspring; men, women and children
share the roadway with speeding cars zipping past them. Some of the faithful
come from as far as Las Cruces in the southern most part of the state, a journey of
close to 300 miles. Unfortunately, the instance of a passing car striking one of
these pilgrims is not uncommon.