I have a bucket list which I will go through and tick off every now and then. When I converted to Catholicism in 2016, my bucket list included going to somewhere in Europe. Indeed, I went to Poland but on a holy pilgrimage with 100 others from OYP (Office of Young People) for World Youth Day.

It was also though this experience of following the footsteps of Saint John Paul II that my faith was enriched.

Here are a few sacred places to complete any Catholic’s “bucket list”, where modern pilgrims like you and I can walk the same path as Jesus and his followers to visit the sites of miracles.

The Holy Land

Pilgrims to the Holy Land and Jerusalem follow in the footsteps of Jesus, from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, journey through the stations and His passion in the Via Dolorosa and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where he was laid to rest.

Fatima

The shrine in Fatima, Portugal, marks the spot where Our Lady of the Rosary appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta, between May and October of 1917. Pilgrims from all over the world gather for the torch-lit processions held every day, but especially on pilgrimage days in May and October.

El Camino de Santiago

The Way of St. James or El Camino de Santiago became a major pilgrimage destination during the Middle Ages. Tradition tells us that St. James’ remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried. Medieval pilgrims travelled from their homes to what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela, receiving penance for the expiation of sins by undertaking the arduous journey.

Today, the pilgrimage has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, among believers as well as non-believers in search of a retreat from modern life.

Ireland

Ireland has a long tradition of holy pilgrimages, dating back to St. Patrick’s fast on what is now known as Croagh Patrick in 441. In the pasts few years, the Pilgrim Paths foundation has been restoring the ancient penitential paths, and has so far created five guided walks. After pilgrims get their “passports” stamped after completing each of the five routes, they receive an Irish Pilgrim Paths completion certificate from Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo.

Rome

European pilgrims headed to Rome along the Via Francigena to follow the paths of the martyred saints and early Christians. Emperor Constantine erected basilicas over the tombs of Peter and Paul, which attracted the faithful from all over Europe.

Today a modern pilgrim would similarly visit St. Peter’s Basilica, attend a papal audience with the successor to St. Peter, take a tour of the Catacombs, the Vatican museums, and the ancient churches of the Eternal City.

Lourdes

Millions of pilgrims flock to southwestern France each year to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is there that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times in 1858 to a young peasant girl, St. Bernadette Soubirous. In one of her appearances she told St. Bernadette to drink from the grotto’s spring. Many of the sick and suffering claim to have been miraculously cured by the spring’s healing waters.

Poland

Even before Pope John Paul II’s canonisation, a spiritual journey to his homeland in Poland had become a popular pilgrimage among Catholics. An itinerary might include a visit to Karol Wojtyla’s childhood home in Wadowice, the shrine of the Black Madonna at Jasna Gora Monastery in Częstochowa, and the beautiful Tatra Mountains where John Paul II skied. Other must-visit sites: The Shrine of Divine Mercy and the martyred St. Maximilian Kolbe’s cell at Auschwitz.

By: Kelly Gabrielle Loh