Blisters and faith, 29-mile pilgrimage began in Manchester last Saturday
Ann Arbor Latin Mass Community’s Annual Walking Marian Pilgrimage traveling through the Manchester area on October 3, 2026. Photo courtesy of Joe Lipa.
by Sara Swanson
Two Saturdays ago you may have noticed a group of people walking down the sidewalk or the road carrying flags and banners. The Manchester area hosted the first leg of the Ann Arbor Latin Mass Community’s 4th Annual Walking Marian Pilgrimage. The two-day walk which ended at St. Thomas in Ann Arbor, in fact started in town at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church.
Joe Lipa, who organized the pilgrimage explained that they had around 50 people depart from St. Mary on Saturday morning. He stated, “ People were welcome to walk as much or as little of the pilgrimage as they were able. Around 30 people made it all the way to St. Andrew Catholic Church in Saline at the end of the day (17 miles). Eleven ambitious people participated in an optional second day of the pilgrimage from St. Andrew to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in downtown Ann Arbor (12 additional miles), where we arrived on Sunday morning and attended the parish’s 11:30am Traditional Latin Mass to conclude a total route of 29 miles.”
After heading through downtown, walkers mostly traveled on dirt roads, stopping at mile 5 to eat lunch at Alber Orchard in Freedom Township, then at mile 7 to hold a Requiem Mass at the historic St. Francis de Borgia Cemetery on Bethel Church Road, a cemetery associated with the first Catholic Church in the Manchester area. Walkers then took a short break at Bethel Church, before heading to Saline.
The pilgrimage was specifically a Marian pilgrimage, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Lipa stated, “We pray many rosaries along the way, which is especially fitting given that October is designated as the Month of the Holy Rosary in the Catholic Church. The pilgrimage also falls on the First Saturday of the month, which specifically dedicated to Marian devotion.”
He explained that the event brought together pilgrims from around the state including children from schools in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Jackson, and Detroit. One woman took the train in from Chicago to attend. He estimates the oldest pilgrim was around 70 and the youngest was a baby boy whose parents pushed him in a stroller all 17 miles to St. Andrew.
St. Mary was selected as the starting point for several reasons. Lipa stated, “Many of us are good friends with [St Mary’s] pastor, Fr. Gerald Gawronski, who originally helped start the Latin Mass in the Ann Arbor area and has been very supportive of our Community throughout the years. The St. Mary-to-St. Andrew route is also perfect for a pilgrimage: we can walk on quiet back roads, pass by beautiful farmland, and stop at some of the historic sites along the way.”
In fact, Lipa cites the Requiem Mass in St. Francis de Borgia cemetery as undoubtedly the highlight of the pilgrimage. He stated, “This was a special Mass offered for the souls of the faithful departed, specifically for Fr. Edmond Ertzbischoff, a local priest who died on the same day 10 years ago. … by way of aside, the famous Latin phrase Dies Irae and abbreviation R.I.P. (Requiescant In Pace) originate from the prayers of the Requiem Mass which we celebrated. We sang them according to the same Gregorian chants that have been used for centuries.”
The group encountered difficulties typically associated with a long walk, fatigue, sore muscles, blisters, but things went smoothly overall and they did not have any major injuries. They did have volunteers on hand to provide basic first aid if necessary and vehicles traveling with them that people could ride in if they needed a break. He added, “We emphasized to everyone beforehand that this is a penitential pilgrimage, so it is not necessarily supposed to be easy.”
The pilgrimage also had beautiful weather. Lipa noted, “Before the pilgrimage, I had asked several convents of nuns to pray for the pilgrimage, especially for good weather and the safety of all pilgrims. It was clear their prayers really came through!”
In a funny happenstance, the pilgrimage crossed paths with the Ann Arbor Marathon on Sunday as they made their way to St. Thomas. Lipa stated, “I think we had a special sense of solidarity with the runners since we were both on a long journey. Thankfully, the roads were still open to pedestrians, otherwise it would have been a very long detour.”
Lipa added, “The theme of the Walking Marian Pilgrimage is ‘To restore all things in Christ’ which comes from the papal motto of Pope St. Pius X. The idea is that our Catholic Faith can’t just remain private, it has to extend into the public sphere as well,” and noted that they did receive several supportive honks and waves from people along the way.
Lipa extended an invitation out to anyone curious about the Traditional Latin Mass. It’s celebrated every Sunday at 11:30am at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, where the pilgrimage finished, and at 1pm at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Jackson.
Ann Arbor Latin Mass Community’s Annual Walking Marian Pilgrimage on the walking path in the City of Manchester on October 3, 2026. Photo courtesy of Joe Lipa.
Ann Arbor Latin Mass Community’s Annual Walking Marian Pilgrimage in St. Francis de Borgia Cemetery in Freedom Township on October 3, 2026. Photo courtesy of Joe Lipa.
Ann Arbor Latin Mass Community’s Annual Walking Marian Pilgrimage in front of St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in the City of Manchester on October 3, 2026. Photo courtesy of Joe Lipa.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login