My pilgrimage to the oldest Catholic Mission in Oregon: Saint Francis Xavier Church
Recently I embarked on a 12-mile pilgrimage to the oldest Catholic Mission in the Northwest, St. Francis Xavier Church. Well, not just me. I had the might of some 300 peers for the journey.
As we walked along the rolling hills, sandwiched between a combination of cows, horses, alpacas, and farmland, I found a sense of true solidarity. In the French language the word solidarité means a whole lot more than what we usually ascribe to it. It is a word fortified with historical weight and its ability to convey the ideal of unity. As we walked, we walked in solidarity with each other.
After the pilgrimage, we camped near the mission. The next morning, some people spoke about seeing God in our high school community. They meant that through the past three years, there has been a force at work, binding us together and forcing us to learn the importance of supporting each other as a community.
During the 12 miles, we walked in solidarity with each other for the burdens we silently carried, for the mistakes we made over the past three years, and the anxieties we all have for the future. It is very appropriate that the theme for our senior year, and the rest of the Jesuit student body, is from sister Thea Bowman: “You walk together and you won’t get weary. You might get tired, but you won’t get weary.”
- I can tell you that around mile 9 I got tired, but I did not get weary.
- I can tell you my friend got tired when her knee gave out and she had to do the rest of her pilgrimage in a wheelchair, but she did not get weary.
- And I can tell you that our friend group taking turns pushing that wheelchair up and down the hills got tired, but we did not get weary.
In the next month may you always have someone who stands with you in solidarity and may you never get weary.
Elisabeth Dellit is an 12th Grader at Jesuit High School. She enjoys reading, writing creative stories, baking/cooking and participating in her school’s drama program.
