ARTICLES

Trail Mix, Blisters

Orange County Pilgrims Hoof It

By John Polhamus

On March 25th, Fourth Sunday of Lent, passers by had a chance to witness the beginning of an annual observance in Southern California. Members of the Orange County chapter of Una Voce initiated their first Lenten Pilgrimage walk, following in the footsteps of Blessed Junipero Serra. The pilgrims, joined by participants from San Diego and Ventura, wended their way from St. Michael's Norbertine Abbey in Silverado, fifteen miles to the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano where Tridentine Mass was offered by Father Victor Szczurek. The pilgrimage was the inspiration of family man Benoit Turpin and other members of Una Voce, who are veterans of the Paris-to-Chartres pilgrimage held each Pentecost. This event attracts upwards of fifteen thousand who walk the one hundred miles in three days. Mr. Turpin commented, "The very first time I went to Chartres was two years ago, and right there I said to myself, why don't I come back another year with an entire chapter from our own pilgrimage in Southern California."

The local pilgrimage started out with a group of fifty and ended with over one hundred. Shuttle vans ferried stragglers and late comers to and from the parking area at San Juan Capistrano, and various pickup/drop-off points along the route. Pilgrimage physician Phillip Demman was on hand. "I brought some medicines in case anybody needed anything on this trip, Tylenol, bandages, asthma medicine, nitroglycerin, things like that. Father Serra carried the exact same medicine. I wanted to be authentic!"

Starting out at 9:00 a.m., the pilgrims crossed under El Toro Road and walked for a couple of miles amid the rushes and cottonwoods that line the bike path along the road. Elaine Minami, encountering the pilgrims on the bike path, observed, "I think it's a great testament to their faith, a great thing. And it's a family oriented activity, which you don't see very much of in Orange County." Thirty-something pilgrim Rick Nagby observed, "They look like your average, everyday, nice Americans. I see a lot of young people, I see some older people, but mostly people in their thirties and forties, with lots of kids!"

Prayers began not long after the first mile, beginning with the first five decades of the rosary. Asked if he would be making any personal devotions along the way, Father Szczurek, ordained eight months ago, replied, "Today being the Feast of the Annunciation, first spot goes to Our Lady, so chiefly the rosary. But also the prayers of absolution, I think. I'm going to be hearing confessions along the way, so I'll definitely be busy with those! What a way to start my first year." As Father spoke, the hymn "Now thank we all our God" echoed down the valley, and after that, "Green grow the rushes-o!" The hymn selection (complete with Serra prayer card) incorporated selections from the Chartres hymn book and American frontier songs.

Just before the first of the five rest stops the sun came out in full, and water bottles began popping left and right. But ten- and seven-year-old friends Catharine and Clare were thinking past this event, as Clare announced, "I'm going to Chartres next year, after I turn eight on July fourth!" She will be preceeded by no less then eighteen of the other pilgrims from the youth group of nearby St. Mary-by-the-Sea Catholic Church in Huntington Beach, aged between ten and twenty, who will make the grand pilgrimage at Pentecost this June.

Proceeding down Marguerite Parkway, the growing band was saluted by motorists, honking and waving hands and hats. At the second rest stop, seven-year-old Clare was being bandaged for a hot spot, while fifty-four-year-old Jackie was getting a foot rub. It was at this stop that thirty year-old Erika Wrzefinski, a three-time veteran of Chartres, reflected on occasions of sin that can arise within a pilgrim band: "It's like living in a religious community. We all have good and divine goals here that we set for ourselves and share with others, but the devil is here just trying to irritate you in every possible way that he can. Every little thing that your neighbour does that can annoy you is a possible occasion of sin. Everybody wants things done their way, but you have to conform yourself to the group and to whoever is in charge, and bite your tongue and, oh my goodness, the list is endless! And of course there's always the temptation to give up, 'why am I really doing this' and 'this blister hurts really badly, I think I should take care of it -- don't I have an obligation to care for my foot,' I mean, all kind of things. The intrusion of selfishness." Charlotte Lear was concentrating on obtaining graces: "I'm praying for our needs locally in the church, and for out Holy Father, for my own children -- for the conversion of our country too, and its future." Father of three Mark Curtis sold his kids on the idea of offering their participation for their grandmother. "Initally they were like, 'Do we really have to walk that far?' But I pointed out to them that their grandmother is very ill and on a respirator in the hospital, and I said 'Let's offer this prayer opportunity up for her recovery.' That pretty much changed their opinion right away!"

The halfway rest took the pilgrims off the Marguerite Parkway and half a mile each way through a residential neighbourhood to Preciados Park, where the park benches served both as picnic tables and as impromptu confessionals. Mark Curtis's wife Christina described her provisions: "I brought healthy snacks, beef jerky and sandwiches, and plenty of water -- no sodas! We're also carrying our spiritual food, our rosary, and we're wearing scapulars." Seventy-five-year-old Bob Opelle, a three-time veteran of Chartres: "I brought some trail-mix and some stockings, extra stuff like that, and about five apples -- and some water and a sandwich. I'm not as durable as I used to be, I've got a blister on the bottom of my right foot, and one starting on my left. It'll hinder me a bit, but it's all in the making of the effort in a spirit of penance...."

Soon the excitement began to build as marchers entered the business district of Mission Viejo. Thirty-five year old Paul Marchand: "I can't wait to see the priest go onto Serra's altar. I really regard this as a preparation, a small penance to tie our little sacrifice (if we possibly can) into Christ's sacrifice by reflecting on it -- and really what we're walking to is the Mass, the holy sacrifice of the Mass. We're walking towards Jerusalem -- to Calvary, even."

The sun was beginning to set when the pilgrims passed under I-5 and turned left heading south down Camino Capistrano. Mother of three, Christina Chidley, who with her husband Shannon had been struggling all day with a wagon train of strollers, was in no doubt about the greatest grace that day:

"The support and love of my family. I think I would have given up a long time ago if it hadn't been for the strength of my family, right there for me.... Oh, we've had low moments! Something like this wears you down mentally and physically, you lose patience, but I felt very blessed today to have priests at my disposal for the sacrament of Confession. It helped get me back into focus, and to realize what I'm really here for." Once onto Camino Capistrano, Andrew and Maria Gizowski, natives of Poland and occasional attendees of the Traditional Mass at Serra Chapel, held forth. Maria: "I think we need to follow him [Father Serra]. He inspired so many people because he was a good Christian, and he extended our faith to others." Maria also felt Catholics in Poland would be inspired by Serra's example: "We have our holy Saints, like St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Faustina, but you know every country has their own saints, yet they are all international. I'm going on a pilgrimage to Poland this year, so I can bring the message of Father Serra's cause to them soon!"

As the mission San Juan Capistrano came into sight, its bells were ringing out above the roar of the freeway. They were anouncing 5:30 p.m. mass in the basilica. As mass began in the basilica, the pilgrims knelt outside and sang the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen). Benoit Turpin observed, "At Chartres one of the main pilgrim songs is called 'Chartres sonne! Chartres t'appelle!' which means 'Chartres is ringing! Chartres is calling to you!'" At 6:00 p.m. as Father Szczurek ascended the altar of the Serra Chapel wearing the rose vestments of Laetare Sunday, their answer was echoing against next year's opportunity for Californian pilgrimage. For these pilgrims next Lent won't come quickly enough. Details of next year's Lenten Pilgrimage walk, which is open to all able to attend, will be available at the website: www.uvoc.org/

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