Holy Trinity Church

Walking Pilgrimage

Source: SVAS (March 2025) – A Parishioner

A walking pilgrimage is a spiritual journey that invites individuals to visit sacred sites while fostering community among participants. It allows for both shared experiences and personal reflection. People embark on this journey to express gratitude, fulfil promises, perform penance, or make heartfelt prayer requests.

The pilgrimage experience is centred on the spirit of service, with participants showing kindness and working together to build a fraternal community. This strengthens bonds among the pilgrims and reflects Jesus’ teachings of love and compassion. They highlight societal issues as they walk, serving as living testaments to their faith and values.

The walking pilgrimage serves a dual purpose: a personal endeavour and a powerful message to individuals of other faiths. Much like Christ, who walked the Earth to share the Good News and enlighten hearts, these pilgrimages reflect that mission of evangelization and witness. Such acts demonstrate the richness of the Christian faith and its openness to dialogue with others.

On the First Sunday of Lent, Catholics participate in an especially poignant Walking Pilgrimage to the historic Sancoale Old Church, embarking on this spiritual journey in the early morning. This pilgrimage, organized by the Archdiocese of Goa Daman, holds immense significance as it helps individuals comprehend the salvific value of suffering. It also spreads the joy of living as Christians and offers an important opportunity for personal transformation and renewal, inviting all to seek God’s grace in challenging times. The choice of Sancoale as the pilgrimage destination is particularly meaningful, as it is historically linked to St. Joseph Vaz, the son of the soil, who walked there during his spiritual journey in Sri Lanka, bringing hope and the message of Christ to those in need.

The pilgrimage gather at Rua Escravo de Maria in Sancoale, a location laden with historical significance. The ruins of the old Church of Our Lady of Health stand as a testament to the past. This site is notable as it is where St. Joseph Vaz penned the momentous letter of bondage at the main altar on August 5, 1677, coinciding with the feast of Our Lady of Snow, a significant event in the Church in Goa.

Just as Jesus’s disciples followed His example by spreading the Good News far and wide, our patron, St. Joseph Vaz, walked extensively during his mission in India and Sri Lanka, epitomizing the essence of a true missionary. Similarly, St. Francis Xavier, affectionately known as our Goencho Saib, traversed through the villages of Goa, ringing a bell to call upon the faithful and share the message of salvation.

Walking as a form of exercise promotes good health and wellness, but during the Season of Lent, it takes on even greater significance as a meaningful act of penance. Our Bishop joins the pilgrimage, demonstrating his solidarity with the people and enriching the experience with his presence. Walking transforms into a powerful gesture of faith, contributing positively to personal well-being and spiritual depth and offering comfort to fellow pilgrims. Additionally, during this pilgrimage, the Bishop presents the petitions of the lay faithful during the Eucharistic celebration, symbolizing the unity of the community in prayer.

For those unable to attend the Sancoale Pilgrimage, the parish priest extends an invitation to participate in solidarity by walking to your local parish church for Mass on that day. Even if attending Mass is not feasible, the community is encouraged to walk in their Vaddo, fostering a spirit of communal harmony and connection within the village.

Ultimately, the pilgrimage serves as a poignant reminder that we are all pilgrims on this Earth, journeying together toward Jesus, discovering faith and fostering community

To be a Christian is to be a pilgrim. We are always on the move, always searching, always seeking -Pope Francis