St.
Catherine's Youth Pilgrimage
July
13 - 21, 2001
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Saturday July
21
We’re home. We landed right on
time thanks to Vanguard. An aside for a unpaid advertisement.
Vanguard
Airlines treated us royally. Their group representative made sure
every detail was taken care of. Their gate
agents, with the exception of one in Atlanta were more than pleasant including
making sure we, as a group,
got boarded first. We were on time to the minute in each of the four
segments, they gave us decent snacks
(as decent as you get these days), the seating was spacious. Thank
you Vanguard Airlines.
We left Borderlands at 6:13 AM this morning and arrived in Denver about
6 hours later. The kids were
exhausted and they slept the bulk of the way. After lunch at Denver
we were on our way home. What a
delightful sight to see all those parents and spouses waiting for us at
the gate.
Much will be said and written about our first J2A pilgrimage. But
for right now I’d like to leave the final word of
this internet travel account to the youth themselves. This is their
sermon from last night:
“Where do we find Wanka Tanka? In a house? On a mountain?
In a museum? In a lake? Or in a sweat
lodge? He’s everywhere. Some places Wanka Tanka is easier to
find. Try for example the Peshla, the heart
of the heart. Here the Lakota people have found God on more than
one occasion. These people pray
different ways than we do and find God in different forms and places.
The Native American people respect
everything on earth because it was created by the creator God. They
look for messages in places that we
usually would not look, for example they look at animals on on mountains.
They believe these things should
not be owned by man and that they were created for equal use for everyone.
Each and everyone of us has encountered Wanka Tanka, God, in a different
way throughout this week.
Some of our reflections are:
-
I encountered God on Bear Butte when I placed my prayer flag in a tree
of my choosing.
-
I encountered God at Harney Peak the way he kept me going towards the top.
-
I encountered God alone in silent time.
-
I encountered God on Bear Butte and in the sweat lodge.
-
I saw the beauty of God in all of his creation; his love and kindness in
our friends and family
and his undying grace in the desire planted in our hearts.
-
I have seen and felt the presence of God in may places. Two that
really stick out in my mind
was the hike up Bear Butte and the sweat lodge with the Lakota people.
-
I found God on Bear Butte during silent time when I made a prayer circle
out of rocks and
looked out into the landscape and prayed.
-
I encountered God upon bonding with others. I really felt his presence
as I opened myself
up to my fellow pilgrims about my thoughts and feelings: everyone really
understood and
listened.
-
Having missed my flight and having doubts about coming, I felt God’s presence
when I
knew that there was still a chance to get there. Seeing everyone’s
faces was even a better
feeling of his presence knowing that they prayed for me to get there safely.
-
When I was walking up Bear Butte and Harney’s Peak, I felt his presence
pushng me to the
top even though I was already sore and tired.
Realizing we were on this journey on our own and our parents weren’t there
to fall back on was a big turning
point for us knowing our journey to adulthood had begun.”
These are the words of 10 fine young adults of St. Catherine’s. A
fifty-three year old man can’t add a heck of
lot. Praise be to God for their experiences, for Judy, Joan and Scott,
and for our safe return.
The day begins at the Borderlands
Education and Spiritual Center. Many of us (including the Rector)
are ready to stay in this place of peace and genuine values. But
we are equally ready to return to families. |
At Denver, lunch is over. Now it’s time to find our gate.
Word has it that Judy is selling her backpack
(“never want to see it again, etc.” – see Judy to make offer) |
Waiting at Gate 41 on Concourse
C for our flight to Kansas City. Be honest, have you ever tried to
keep track of 10 rambunctious teenagers who want to touch and explore everything
they run across? |
“Oh, Father Jim, please, do we need to sit down for another
two hours on this plane? We are so ready to be home, but have so
many pictures yet to take. |
Families greet everyone
at the airport. We created quite a traffic jam. Praise God
we are home.
|
Tell me Scott, what exactly
is that on your face? |
J2A
Pilgrimage
July 13 - 21, 2001
Friday, July 13
9:30 AM Arrive at St. Catherine's
10:15 AM Leave for Hartsfield
International Airport
We expect all
pilgrims to travel together from the church to the airport.
Parents are welcome
to join us at the airport, if you wish.
11:00 AM Arrive at the Airport
12:30 PM Depart Vanguard Airlines
Flight #305
3:20 PM Arrive Denver International
Airport
5:00 PM Leave Denver International
Airport in route to Cheyenne, Wyoming
7:00 PM Arrive Cheyenne, Wyoming
for overnight at
Lincoln
Court
1720
W. Lincolnway
Cheyenne,
WY 82001
Phone
#: 307.638.3302
Saturday, July 14
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:30 AM Leave Cheyenne, Wyoming
in route to Hill City, South Dakota
2:30 PM Arrive Hill City,
South Dakota
Borderlands Education
and Spiritual Center
21320 South Rockford
Road
Hill City, SD
57745
605.574.4746
605.574.2754
(fax)
Saturday, July 14
- Friday, July 20
The following itinerary
is subject to change based on weather, community desire, availability of
resources and acts of the Spirit.
Daily Schedule
7:30 Breakfast and Prepare
Lunch
8:30 Morning Prayers and
Community Gathering'
9:00 Pilgrim Journey
12:00 Noon Day Prayers and
Lunch
1:30 Pilgrim Journey
4:00 Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Community Reflections/Seminar
9:00 Compline
12:00 Lights Out
Saturday
Welcome and Orientation to
Borderlands Ranch
Focus: Spirituality
of Place
Welcome Dinner
Focus: Tiospaye - Relationships
Worship Planning
Introduction to the Labyrinth
Sunday
Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
St. Matthew's Episcopal
Church
Rapid City, SD
Hike to Flag Mountain — Picnic
Lunch
Focus: Vision Quest
Swim at Deerfield Lake
Focus: Spiritual Reflection
Monday
Journey Museum in Rapid City
Focus: History, Culture
and Spirituality of the People of South Dakota
Lunch at the Park
Visit St. Matthew's Episcopal
Church, Rapid City
Focus: Episcopal Church
among Lakota First Nations People
Miniature Golf or Waterslide
Tuesday
Visit Shrine to Crazy Horse
Lunch at the Shrine
Visit Mt. Rushmore
Wednesday
Custer State Park
Wildlife Loop
Focus: Importance
of Buffalo to the Lakota
Hike Ghost Butte (Harney
Peak)
Focus: Lakota
Pilgrimage
Swim/Paddle Boats
Supper at the Lodge
or in Hill City
Thursday
Bear Butte (via Deadwood
and Open Pit Mining) Hike and Picnic
Focus: Seminar with
former Bear Butte Ranger
Spearfish Canyon and Roughlock
Falls Hike
Focus: Water
Moonshine Gulch Saloon, Rochford,
for Supper
Friday
Hike to Deerfield Dam
Focus: Blocks to a
Growing Spirituality
Return to Flag Mountain
Last things - Prayer Flags
and Tobacco Ties
Final Labyrinth Walk
Pilgrim Eucharist and Closing
Ritual — Borderlands Ceremonial Grounds
Celebration Dinner and Reflections
Saturday, July 21
5:00 AM Wake-up Call
6:00 AM Leave for Denver International
Airport
2:00 PM Arrive Denver International
Airport
3:50 PM Depart Vanguard Airlines
Flight # 461 to Kansas City
6:20 PM Arrive Kansas City
6:55 PM Depart Vanguard Airlines
Flight #408 to Atlanta
9:45 PM Arrive Atlanta
We ask that parents
make arrangements to meet us at the airport.