Virtual Pilgrimage

Walking practices are experiencing a revival in the post-millennial world.
Chief among these is the discipline of pilgrimage. The purpose of this
research was to explore the pilgrimage trope as a pathway to spiritual
renewal for Ottawa’s Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) volunteers. A form of
substitute pilgrimage identified as ‘virtual pilgrimage’ was adapted to
simulate the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago trail. A purposive
random sample of twelve SGH volunteers (six men and six women) walked the
distance virtually, over a period of six weeks. Each week, the
participants were given a reflection question to focus their walks and
their journal accounts.
The research methodology was configured
around Richard Osmer’s four-task cycle for practical theological research.
The data was collected by way of a questionnaire, a focus group, and the
participants’ journal accounts. NVIVO software was used to analyze the
data, and Stephen Bevans’ “Praxis Model” was used to interpret the
results.
Virtual pilgrimage encompasses many of the themes
associated with the traditional distance pilgrimage, including suspension
of regular routines, intentionality, experiences of blessedness and
beauty, and encounters with sacred mystery that inspired social action.
The results showed that virtual pilgrimage contains the same facility for
spiritual renewal as the traditional, distance pilgrimage, with potential
wide-ranging applications in the health, human, and social services fields.