Plan a Pilgrimage to a Local Shrine in the United States

Shrines and places of pilgrimage take on many forms. There’s the little shrine, made up of a statue in a corner of a church, or the big shrine, like the National Shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe or of St John Nepomucene Neumann. I am a fan of visiting cathedrals, because they are often stunning and historic, and provide a plethora of little shrines or chapels to pray to many saints.

Use this map to find Catholic shrines and places of pilgrimage near you (in the U.S.). And if you know of a shrine or place of pilgrimage that’s not on our map, please let us know, so we can add it!

What can you do on a local pilgrimage?

• Bring a book of spiritual reading. Or don’t. I’ll bet they have some good ones at the gift shop.
• Bring your rosary and your list of prayer intentions.
• If you have kids, bring them along! Visiting shrines is a great way to teach them about our faith.
• Spend the day at the shrine, learning about the saint to whom or the devotion to which the shrine is dedicated.
• Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 pm.
• Go through the Holy Door (if they have one)! (Remember the usual requirements for obtaining an indulgence.)
• Go to confession.