By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas
BENSONHURST — Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent, but Michele Guerrier has embraced a fourth for herself — the Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage.
Now in its third year, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage runs from March 6 to April 15. During that time, the diocese designates a different church each day for the faithful to attend Mass, pray the rosary, and spend time with the Blessed Sacrament.
Guerrier, a retired probation officer from East Flatbush, has participated each year, crisscrossing Brooklyn and Queens to visit the various churches along the pilgrimage route.
When The Tablet caught up with her on the morning of March 28, she had arrived for Mass at St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, the pilgrimage stop for that day. As of that day, Guerrier had made every stop along the route — 21 churches so far — and planned to visit all 37 churches designated for the pilgrimage.
“This pilgrimage has become my fourth pillar for Lent. It’s amazing,” she said.
The visit marked the first time she had ever set foot in St. Athanasius Church. Guerrier said she participates in the pilgrimage because Jesus Christ is the center of everything.
“It is the Eucharist that makes me Catholic,” she explained. “So to be able to go every day somewhere and just spend that quality time with Jesus just reaffirms my resolve. I will always be Catholic because of the Eucharist.”
She also said she relishes the opportunity to visit other churches in the diocese.
“This diocese has the most beautiful churches, and we tend to stay in our parish home and don’t realize what we have out there,” said Guerrier, who is a parishioner of St. Therese of Lisieux Church in East Flatbush.
Upon entering St. Athanasius Church, she pulled out her cell phone and used the Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage app created by DeSales Media Group — the ministry that produces The Tablet — to check in. The app has become a handy tool for Lenten pilgrims, particularly senior citizens, she said.
“Some people who never knew how to use their phone now have learned by using the app — how to use their phone, upload apps and do wonderful things with pictures,” Guerrier explained.
At each church Guerrier visits, she looks for something that makes that church unique.
“I try to see what draws me the most, what sparks my attention,” she said, “and I take pictures, and usually there’s a word or something that will remain with me.”
Guerrier, who is active in the Haitian Apostolate and the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns, also said part of the joy of being a pilgrim is getting to meet fellow Catholics of all races and nationalities as she travels throughout the diocese.
“We are the Diocese of Immigrants. We are family in this diocese,” she said.
Even if parishioners are not able to participate in person, they can still join the community online through the app to see all of the pilgrimage stops and even make prayer requests. Participants can get more information by visiting lent.dioceseofbrooklyn.org/.