One way to remember that we are a pilgrim Church is to engage in pilgrimages. A decree was issued from the Holy Father’s Major Penitentiary, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, in May 2024 granting a plenary indulgence for pilgrimages to the major basilicas in Rome and three basilicas in the Holy Land.
The decree also specified that pilgrims could visit a Cathedral, other church or sacred place, that was designated by the local ordinary.
Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, announced that we have four parishes designated as pilgrimage sites this year to encounter and receive this special grace. In a letter to the faithful, he wrote:
Several of our parishes are offering exciting pilgrimages to Rome, and I highly encourage taking advantage of these opportunities. I realize that this is not a realistic possibility for everyone. Therefore, I am happy to share that I have also identified four pilgrimage locations within South Carolina that will be eligible for the jubilee indulgence.
Those locations are the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, the Basilica of St. Peter in Columbia, St. Mary Church in Greenville, and historic St. Mary, Help of Christians Church in Aiken.
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Plan your visit: https://charlestoncathedral.com.
Basilica of St. Peter
Plan your visit: https://www.visitstpeters.org.
Old St. Mary, Help of Christians Church
Plan your visit: https://www.stmarys-aiken.org.
St. Mary Church
Plan your visit: https://smcgvl.org.