(LifeSiteNews) – Over 100 faithful Catholics walked 25 kilometers from Berea to Mariannhill in South Africa as part of a pilgrimage to pray for vocations.
On Sunday, April 27, parishioners from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Berea completed a 25-kilometer pilgrimage, praying for an increase in vocations in South Africa and for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis.
“We walk today to ask the Lord to send laborers into His harvest,” Father François Laiguedé of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary told local media outlet Brea Mail.
“This is a physical and spiritual journey — one that we hope inspires many young people to consider a life dedicated to God,” he continued. “Along the way, pilgrims passed through Sherwood, Westville, Cowies Hill, and Pinetown, with rest stops along the route, including outside Sherwood’s KFC and the Scout Hall in Cowies Hill.”
Recently, religious vocations in South Africa have been declining, leading the parish, run by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), to organize a pilgrimage to pray for an increase in vocations. “The pilgrims prayed that young people would answer generously to God’s call to them, to perhaps consider entering the religious life as priests, nuns or brothers,” Laiguedé explained.
Pilgrimages are a traditional way to pray and sacrifice as Catholics travel together from one holy place to another.
The pilgrimage began with early morning Mass at 7 a.m. followed by breakfast before setting out on the journey from the Priory on Gumtree Avenue in Berea to St Joseph’s Cathedral at Mariannhill Monastery.
The pilgrims were led by the crucifix, a statue of Our Lady, and various flags as they walked down the streets while singing. The pilgrimage drew Catholics laity and priests from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and as far as Zimbabwe.
Upon their arrival in Mariannhill, the pilgrims entered the cathedral, where they sang the Latin Creed and received a final blessing.
Sunday’s event is part of a growing number of pilgrimages as Catholics are increasingly returning to traditional practices.
In fact, as LifeSiteNews previously reported, registration for this year’s three-day, 62-mile walk from Paris to Chartres, France, filled up over a month before the planned event, forcing organizers to close registration.
With 18,000 participants, the pilgrimage is attracting an ever-increasing number of marchers and volunteers, breaking a record.
