Event Submission: “Practicing Pilgrimage”

On February 10th, I attended the Charles Franklin Finch lecture titled “Practicing Pilgrimage” by Dr. Stephanie Paulsel. I was very impressed to see that this lecture has been put on for sixty years! Dr. Paulsel attended Greensboro College and is now a Christian Studies Professor in Harvard Divinity School. Dr. Pausel spoke about the ancient practices of Pilgrimage and how it can be used today. The majority of her lecture was discussing a Pilgrimage she embarked on. I was interested in attending this lecture because I was very unfamiliar with the practice of Pilgrimage. Infact, I didn’t really know people still went on Pilgrimages in today’s society. Dr. Paulsel started with why both she and her sister decided to embark on a Pilgrimage. They were seeking absolute freedom and followed a Henry David Thoreau Model. This emphasizes the beauty of simplicity and harmony. They also followed the story of Saint Cuthbert. Who was a monk with a spunky attitude and known for his witty comments. They joked that Saint Cuthbert was watching over them during their journey. This joke was brought into life when a caring man took the time to watch over them to make sure they go through a patch of deep mud. They ended up seeing him again at a church service later that day and exchanged a simple wave. I wonder if the man understands the impact that he has made on their story. Dr. Paulsel also spoke about how her sister’s occupation affected the Pilgrimage. Her sister works with refugee children and thought about them everyday during the Pilgrimage. Together they thought of questions such as “what if we did not have shoes?”, “what if we did not know where we were going?”, “what if we did not know if we were going to be safe when we got to our destination?”. They constantly thought about the refugee children throughout their trip and all the troubles they faced. These questions made them both feel upset about the troubles the children face while also being grateful for what they have. These questions emphasized how much the journey meant to them and how reflective they were. Dr. Paulsel concluded her lecture by saying how many different forms of walking there are. When you read, listen to music, watch a movie, exercise, do yoga, talk- you are walking. Each of these things allows you to reflect and take a journey. She said, “not everyone can walk, but everyone can be a Pilgrim.” This speaker related to class by how talented she was at storytelling. Dr. Paulsel reinforced the power of storytelling. With her reading of the Pilgrimage, she is able to move people into a different time, and experience something unlike anything they have ever experienced. They also got through their journey together by telling stories to each other. I found this lecture very interesting and Dr. Paulsels storytelling skills are incredible. She brought the story to life for everyone in the audience. Her credentials are also very impressive as she is very involved in Harvard University’s campus ministry.