From August 7 to 10, participants in the immediate preparation course for solemn profession experienced a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Saint Rita of Cascia, in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil). It was four days of walking, effort, fellowship, prayer, and encounter with God, with their brothers, and with themselves.
An Augustinian Formation Experience
The pilgrimage constitutes one of the specific objectives of the preparation course for solemn profession. It is not simply about taking a walk or reaching a destination, but about physically experiencing one of the fundamental dimensions of Christian life and Augustinian spirituality: we are pilgrims.
Life is a journey towards God and, as Saint Augustine taught, human beings are always searching, called to walk towards truth, towards their own heart, and towards the fullness of God. On this path, no one advances alone: brothers are companions on the pilgrimage, called to walk “with one soul and one heart towards God.” Therefore, the kilometers covered, the fatigue, the silences, the conversations, the prayer, and the difficulties became part of the formative experience. Walking together allowed them to remember that the vocation to consecrated life is also a path on which each person learns to step out of themselves, to trust, to allow themselves to be accompanied, and to advance with others towards Christ.
Four days and nearly 70 kilometers of walking
The pilgrimage began on August 7, at five in the morning, in Franca (Brazil). The first stage took the group to Claraval, after covering approximately 20 kilometers on foot. There they were able to visit the Claraval Monastery, a Cistercian monastery and one of the main religious sites of interest in the region. The group stayed in the area designated for retreat participants, where they found an environment conducive to rest and prayer. From the very first kilometers, one of the simple lessons of the pilgrimage emerged: when we walk together, fatigue weighs less and joy multiplies.
The next day, the march continued towards Ibiraci, a journey of about 26 kilometers. After the day’s effort, the pilgrims rested at an inn, explored the town, and participated in the Eucharist with the community. Ibiraci preserves a significant religious tradition, and the Augustinian Recollects played a relevant role in the origins of the evangelization of the population and in the construction of its church, built by slaves.
From Ibiraci, the group headed to a farm belonging to the family of Friar Helton Pimenta, an Augustinian Recollect who resides in the Franca community and is responsible for the Capelinha Institute of Philosophy. There they celebrated the Sunday Eucharist and shared a time of fellowship with the family. There was also an opportunity to ride horses, fish, share a meal, and regain strength for the last day. Amidst these experiences, another certainty grew: to pilgrimage is to step out of oneself to find God and discover the brother walking beside us.
Arrival at the Sanctuary of Saint Rita of Cascia
On the last day, the group departed early from the farm to cover the approximately 20 kilometers that still separated them from their destination. After several days of walking and nearly 70 kilometers covered on foot, the pilgrims finally arrived at the feet of Saint Rita of Cascia around ten in the morning.
The Sanctuary of Saint Rita of Cascia, located in Cascia, Minas Gerais, is an important center of pilgrimage and devotion to the saint of impossible causes. The new sanctuary was inaugurated in 2022 and features a large structure designed to accommodate thousands of pilgrims. Its main church has a capacity for approximately 7,000 people. The magnitude of the place contrasts with the simplicity of those who arrive walking: each step becomes an expression of faith, trust, and surrender.
Before Saint Rita, the course participants celebrated the Eucharist and placed their intentions in God’s hands, through the intercession of the saint. In a special way, they asked for the grace to persevere in their religious vocation, as well as for other personal intentions. After so many kilometers, reaching the sanctuary allowed them to understand that every step can be an opportunity to trust more in God and less in their own strength.
A Path of Hope, Conversion, and Vocation
The pilgrimage ended with fatigue, blisters on their feet, and bodies in need of rest, but also with the joy of having shared the journey. To pilgrimage means to set out with hope, to recognize that we have not yet reached the goal, and to learn to trust in the One who accompanies our steps. The pilgrimage outwardly makes visible an inner reality: vocation is also a path of search, conversion, and transformation.
Friar Randy Josué Campos Porras expressed it thus: “The pilgrimage experience was one of encounter: with God, with myself, and with my brothers, all on the journey. It fostered in me hope and complete trust, not in my own strength, but in the ever-accompanying presence of God.”
The experience of these days thus becomes a significant image of the path towards solemn profession itself. Vocation is built step by step, learning to trust not only in one’s own strength, but also in the presence of God who accompanies, sustains, and transforms.
