Welcome...

From Brett:

Welcome to the website of the School of the Pilgrim! The School of the Pilgrim offers people an opportunity to leave the "religion of the rush hour" by re-introducing the ancient and contemporary practice of pilgrimage to further our spiritual growth and development.

At the School of the Pilgrim we are invested in exploring the way that the life of faith--individually and collectively--is an ongoing and all-encompassing journey most often revealed in intentional pilgrimages. The companion on this holy trek is the Holy One, who leads us in re-discovering the meaningfulness of our past, teaches us to live with wonder wherever we may be today, and directs our attention to the hope before us in the future.



Pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo, New Mexico

The School of the Pilgrim will participate in the pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo in June 2012! We will be hosting our friend and pilgrim guide from Egypt, Moussa Hanna. This will be his first journey to the United States. The pilgrimage to Chimayo is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (NM), in which bands of pilgrims walk 120 miles in six days to the holy site of El Santuario de Chimayo.

Desert Spirituality Pilgrimage

The School of the Pilgrim has planned a Desert Spirituality Pilgrimage this November 9-21, 2012. This trip will include days of exploring the holy sites around Jerusalem; participating in a work project with Palestinians in Bethlehem; hiking, some jeep riding, and five days on camel back in the Sinai desert, along with a trip to historic St. Catherine's of the Sinai Monastery. Leaving from Newark, NJ, the cost of this pilgrimage (including airfare, local transportation, lodging, board, and tips) should be around $2,500 subject to price fluctuations over the next several months. Stay tuned for more information on this website, the newsletter, and blogsite: www.schoolofthepilgrim.blogspot.com.

Lenten Pilgrimage

The School of the Pilgrim will lead a class on pilgrimage and the season of Lent at the United Church of Chapel Hill, NC in 2012. The purpose of this five week course is to combine and explore the season of Lent from the vantage point of a group of pilgrims following the Pilgrim God. The first class will be on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at 6:30 PM at the United Church of Chapel Hill. Contact Brett at 919-444-9111/Brett@schoolofthepilgrim.com for more information.

SlideShow

The School of the Pilgrim has a slideshow to introduce our vision and work. You can download and view the slideshow by clicking here.

We have made a copy of script of this slideshow available for those who may not be able to hear the audio portion. You can download and read the script while watch the the slides. This script is available by clicking here.

Anniversaries: Non-Profit Status and Validated Ministry

An anniversary or two: Four years ago, the School of the Pilgrim became a religious non-profit (501c3). Three years ago, we were made a validated ministry of the Presbyterian Church USA on July 15, 2008.



Facebook

The School of the Pilgrim is now on Facebook, a popular social networking website. Visit our Facebook entry by clicking here.

Twitter

The School of the Pilgrim is now on Twitter, a popular social networking website. Go to Twitter, and look for "pilgrimman".

"Practicing Pilgrimage: A How-To Manual for Being and Becoming a Pilgrim People " Accepted for Publication!

Church Publishing Group, based in New York City, the official publisher of the U.S. Episcopal Church, is going to be the official publisher of the new book, "Practicing Pilgrimage: Being and Becoming a Pilgrim Church". This book is a "how-to" book or manual that will enable youth groups to bring ancient and contemporary pilgrimage practices into the lives of young people. Look for the publication of the book in 2011!



Additional Activities :

• New and Expanded List of Resources and Links! Click on "Resources and Links" where you will find an expanded list of resources--including other books, music, and movies--along with new links to other pilgrimage sites in the world!

• Take a Look at the Side Bar "Destinations"! Check out the list of pilgrimage sites there are around the world. In recent editions of National Geographic Magazine and U.S. News and World Report, there was a listing of "sacred sites". We took that list and expanded it, hoping to stir interest in all the places where there is a "thin membrane" between the mundane and the Holy.
  
  
• During the spring of 2011 Brett taught a world religion course at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. The motif for this course was pilgrimage as they considered the five major world religions, which all incorporate the action of walking toward holy sites.
  
  
• Fundraising: As always, thanks to those people who have already responded with a generous support of the School of the Pilgrim in 2011. We now have a credit-card link through "justgive.org" on the "Contribution" page for those who would like to contribute to the ongoing growth of the School of the Pilgrim. Click here to go to the "Donation" site for donation information!
  

• Many thanks to our friend Jaqui Tutt from New Zealand, whose photographs from Santiago de Compestela in Spain now grace the side bar images on the right side of this website.
  
  
• Additions and changes to Upcoming Activities! We've added a new option for a pilgrimage event, and also have provided a list of charges for School of the Pilgrim events.
  
  
• Interested in working with the School of the Pilgrim? We are always open to volunteer support.