Our Stories
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Artur Suski, S.J.
My Pilgrimage Story
Dear friends,
As you know, I was away last month on a 30-day pilgrimage to a Trappist monastery in Gethsemane, Kentucky, as part of the Jesuit novitiate program (each novice had a different pilgrimage destination). The formation team gave us an option of receiving a one-way bus ticket either to or from the final destination. Through discernment, prayer, I decided to decline the offer and left the house with only the 50 dollars they gave us as an emergency fund, to travel 1,700 km (3,400 km both ways included)! Many of you asked me to let you know after I returned how things went, so I decided to write down my experience and pass it on. Enjoy!
The pilgrimage went very well; I was surprised at how smooth things were moving along. But that being said, there were hard moments as well.
I started on May 1 in Montreal. It is not easy to hitchhike out of the city since there are no on-ramps that one can stand on without being hit by a car, so with another novice, Edmund (we were both going the same direction, west), I took the subway to the furthest stop in the city (on the green line), then we looked for an on-ramp, and sure enough, found one about four km. from the subway stop (on hwy 20 west).
We didn't know if it was easier to hitchhike in ones or twos, but from the stories others told me, I had the impression that it is easier to get a ride if travelling alone, so I let Edmund stand on the on-ramp first. About a minute and a half later (not exaggerating), Edmund was picked up, so I went down to take his place, and an elderly man stopped minutes later, but he said he was taking the next exit and going north, so I said 'no thanks' and waited on. Then a truck stopped but he was also going north, to Laval, so I turned him down as well. From then on, I waited about 50 minutes and no one stopped. Finally someone stopped, and was going west, but not very far, about 30 km only to the town of Dorion. I accepted the offer (anything to get out of the city!).
As we were driving, a loud beeping noise started in the car and I noticed that he had one of those devices to blow into to check if he had been drinking! He told me that he was arrested for drinking and driving and now every 20 minutes this machine beeps and he has to blow in it or else ALL the lights in the car start flashing and his horn starts beeping, so if the police sees the car, it would stop him. It was an interesting first pickup, but we had nice conversations.
Before he dropped me off, we stopped at a garbage bin behind a McDonalds and he found a piece of cardboard for me so I can write my destination on it, since he said it is much easier hitchhiking if you have a sign. As we pulled up to the curb where he was going to drop me off, I noticed Edmund walking on the sidewalk so once again I joined up with him. What a coincidence!
As Edmund and I reached a nice place to stand, I started to write 'Kingston' on the cardboard. Before I finished, a big Jeep SUV pulled up and picked us both up! Our new driver happened to be an RCMP undercover drugs detective (he even showed us his badge, but that kind of defeats the purpose of being 'undercover'…). He asked us where we're from, what we're doing, and he told us that we were standing at the wrong spot for hitchhiking, that it was illegal to stand there. He then drove us about 20 minutes west along hwy 20, then left us on another on-ramp where it was apparently 'legal' for us to stand. During our drive, he told us that he himself was baptized Catholic but has since stopped practicing his faith; he had a rough childhood, going from foster home to foster home, etc. But he was so impressed by us wanting to become Catholic priests, that he gave us a donation, a 50 dollar bill. We couldn't really split a bill in half, so Edmund kept it for the time being.
We then waited 25 minutes and a young man picked us up but only took us one stop westward. There, a big pick-up truck stopped and drove us only three stops, leaving us in the last town in the province of Quebec. It was a small town in the middle of nowhere and only 3 cars went by in our hour of waiting…So we decided to walk to the next town going west, and we walked along a side road (the old Trans-Canada highway). We walked for about 55 minutes, and no one stopped to pick us up (we lifted the thumb as cars passed us), then an SUV stopped. It so happened that it was the same police officer that picked us up earlier! He was with his father since he went to visit him in the very town that we were in!
It was now around 3 pm, and we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. The officer asked us if we ate and if we were hungry, so of course we said 'yes' to being hungry and 'no' that we didn't eat! He invited both of us to lunch-dinner at McDonalds with his father, and paid for our food! Then he gave us another 50 dollar bill, and this time I got it! We talked a lot and especially on celibacy and chastity since he was amazed and at the same time fascinated that Catholic priests never marry and that we as Jesuits will be taking the vow of chastity! We had a beautiful conversation on that!
Now, the little town that we were in is close to Cornwall, ON, and I knew that the Legionaries of Christ have a novitiate there, so I asked them (the officer and his dad) if they knew about it, and they did, so they drove us the 10 km to the novitiate (going west), and left us there. As he left us there, he gave both of us a hug and said that he will remember this encounter and that somehow 'we made an impact on him' (hopefully for the better…).
The novitiate was empty, or so we thought! No one was there, we knocked but no one opened, then we walked around and found the kitchen (at the back of the building), we looked inside through the window and we found three novices preparing supper (fajitas). I know a Legionary Priest from McMaster University (Fr. Todd), so I asked if he was around (since this is his 'home base'), and indeed he was, so one of the novices went to get him, but he was away with all the other novices playing soccer (the Legionaries play lots of soccer) nearby, so we waited.
Initially the superior said we were able to stay for the night at the novitiate, but then Fr. Todd came and told us that we couldn't stay there and that we will be staying at a parish rectory (Precious Blood Church) with Fr. Jacques (a diocesan priest), where we would each have our own room, instead of sleeping in a big room with 12 beds. Fr. Todd was very generous and took us out to supper and we talked for quite a while. Then he drove us to Precious Blood Parish where we stayed for the night.
In the morning, Fr. Jacques said Mass for us, then invited us for a buffet breakfast, making sure we were well fed before our journey since we didn't know when we would eat next. Then he dropped off Edmund on the on-ramp of 401 West (near a truck stop) and generously offered to take me across the border into the states (to a small town, Messina, in NY) to hwy 37 which goes to Syracuse (my next destination). He said that if he drives me across the border, I won't have any problems crossing, and that's what happened.
As he left me there on Hwy 37 (a two lane hwy, not like the 401), about 5 minutes later a police cruiser stopped, and the officer asked for my documentation (my passport and my driver's license). He was checking my records for about 15 minutes, then came back and said 'you haven't been arrested, you're free to go, but it's illegal to hitchhike in the state of NY and in most US states', so I was a bit disappointed but then he said 'but no one will likely book you for it' so I continued to hitchhike after he left.
About 20 minutes later, a wreck truck stops and says that he's going to Syracuse and can take me all the way! This was a blessing, since Syracuse from Messina was about a 3.5 hour drive. It happened that this driver, Pete, was a born-again Christian. When he found out that I was a Catholic studying for the priesthood, he was excited because for some reason he was fascinated by the Catholic Rite of Exorcism; he said that it seems that only Catholic Exorcisms truly work. He told me about a 'paranormal' episode he had in his house, which prompted him to look into exorcisms. We had very nice conversations on various topics. It took us about 5 hours to get to Syracuse because we had to stop on the way to pick up a car that broke down (a new Volvo); Pete bought me ice cream on the way, and let me 'keep the change' (3 dollars) after I bought it.
He dropped me off in Syracuse right at the doorstep of the Jesuit novitiate. I previously found the address for it, and he was generous enough to go out of his way and drive me there. The whole novitiate was empty; all the novices were out on their hospital experiments. But luckily, the novice Master, Fr. Joe, was home. Fr. Joe invited to take me out for supper since he said that the novitiate didn't have much food because all the novices were gone. I accepted (I only ate an ice cream since morning!), and we went to a very nice Italian restaurant, where I ordered a Chicken parmagiana!
The next day was a Sunday, and Fr. Joe offered to celebrate Mass in the Novitiate Chapel; it was just the two of us. After breakfast, Fr. Joe offered to buy me a bus ticket to the next main town, but I turned it down because I wanted to continue hitchhiking, to really get the feel for it and to travel in simplicity; he was happy for my choice and offered to drive me out of the city and drop me off near a highway diner, where many cars go by, and as he left me, he gave me 60 dollars just in case I needed some money.
There I waited for about 25 minutes and a pickup truck stopped, and another Joe drove me about 30 km southward (on hwy 81), then he dropped me off and I waited again. This time a young man stopped about 20 minutes later, and said that he was going all the way to Atlanta, GA, and that he could use some company on the road (his name was Matthew). We drove together for 9 hours. We stopped for supper, and he bought me a Burger King meal! We talked lots about various things, about what I'm doing, about his work, etc, etc. He was taking Hwy 77 south into Georgia, and I needed to take Hwy 77 north into West Virginia (towards Kentucky). He left me in this small village at 7:30 PM, with one gas station! So I went there, and asked if there are any places for me to stay the night, and the elderly lady (visibly annoyed by a hitchhiker asking for lodging) told me that there's a motel 10 miles down the road.
I didn't look forward to hiking 10 mines (16 km) at 7:30 p.m. So I asked her if there was a church nearby, and she said 'there's a church 1 mile down the road but I don't think they do that kind of stuff (helping hitchhikers)'. I thanked her and then started walking towards the motel but then after a few steps, something told me to try the church, so I turned around and walked toward the church. It turned out to be a protestant church, the Church of God of Prophecy it was called. As I got there, they were just finishing their Sunday evening service; I waited at the back of the church so I could talk to the minister after the service and ask him for help. He gave a very fiery homily on chastity, and all that he said coincided very closely with Church teaching; I enjoyed it!
Soon after the homily they had a short prayer and then they finished. They were all elderly people, and they all swarmed to me and started asking me where I'm from, where I'm going and what am I doing in their church at this hour! I told them all about what I'm doing and they were very fascinated! I told them that I came to ask for some help with lodging for the night! So people started giving me money, donations! All in all, I received 90 dollars from that congregation! Then the minister, Pastor Samuel, offered to drive me to the motel (the one 10 miles down the road) and as we arrived at the motel he paid for my room. On the ride there, he asked me what I thought of Mary, the mother of Jesus, so I told him the Church's teaching, then he said 'son, you know that Jesus is the only way to the Father, right?', and of course I agreed since that is also our belief!
Next morning (day 3), I ate breakfast at the hotel since it was included with the room, and left early enough because most truckers leave early for their travels (the motel was right beside a big truck stop). It was pouring rain that morning but I had an umbrella. After 35 minutes, a pick-up stops; it was someone from last night's evening service at the church, he recognized me and said he could take me a while along the road that I want to take, since he was going to the dentist.
After he dropped me off about 25 minutes later, a car stopped, and it was a woman! The first time that a woman stopped, and I was very happy that she did! As I got into the car, I noticed that she was listening to the rosary on the radio, so there I found out that she was a Catholic! I told her who I was and what I was doing and she was just amazed by it all. She was driving to the town that I was planning on reaching that day (Charleston, WV). Again, I was blessed by a good ride! Mary (that was her name) told me she never picked up a hitchhiker before and this time something told her to stop and pick me up, and I was glad she did since it was very windy, cold, and rainy outside that day!
She was actually on the way to Mass (12 pm Mass) and asked if I wanted to join her, and of course I said yes. This was a small church, Blessed Sacrament Church, in South Charleston, WV. She introduced me to the parish priest and he was very glad that she picked me up and that I was there. He immediately offered me a guest room in his rectory for the night and I accepted! At Mass I volunteered to do the reading, and then at the end of Mass, he asked all the people to come forward and put their hand on me for a blessing for my journey. It was very touching and a very beautiful gesture!
After Mass, Fr. John (that was his name) was kept busy the rest of the day at the parish office so Mary offered to take me out for lunch, and when we were at lunch, she found out that her brother Sam was coming to visit her that evening and that he was heading back the same night (he called her cell as we were eating); he lives halfway between Charleston and the next major town, Lexington, KY, where I was going. As I said good-bye to Mary, she handed me 40 dollars for my further travels, again, a very generous gift! The brother offered to take me with him that night, and to lodge me at his house with his family (both daughters already moved out, it was only him and his wife; I got one of the daughters' rooms for the night).
He made some phone calls and found out that one of his friends was going to Lexington the next morning, so he asked him if he could take me and it was no problem for him. At 7:45 am I was picked up and then after two hours, dropped off on the outskirts of Lexington on the on-ramp of the Blue Grass Highway which goes right by the Monastery. I was only 110 km away from the monastery. I made a sign saying 'Gethsemane Monastery'.
I waited on the ramp for about 40 minutes, and finally a pickup truck stopped, and the man said that he passed me once but decided to turn around since he thought that if I was going to a monastery, I had to be a 'safe' person. It turned out that he was a Catholic, a very big fan of EWTN; he even had Christopher West's 'Theology of the Body' CDs in the car. We had a great talk on the way and he was very fascinated by my pilgrimage experience. Instead of leaving me at the highway and letting me walk 10 km. to the monastery, he offered to drive me right to the doorstep. It was a powerful moment seeing the monastery. I have to admit, that as I was leaving Montreal, I wasn't sure if I was ever going to make it there, 1700 km away. He came in, went to the gift shop, bought some monk cheese (the monks make various cheeses), and left.
The guest-master, Fr. Damien, who also I think doubted that I would arrive from such a distance, welcomed me warmly. He showed me to my room. I got to stay in the wing where the monks lived, in their novitiate. Currently they have three novices and two postulants. There began my three weeks living with the Trappist monks! Every day (except Sundays) I worked from 8 am to 12 pm on the land, doing various jobs such as weeding gardens, planting tomatoes, moving around big logs, measuring distances for fence posts, cleaning workbenches, etc.
I got to work with Br. Conrad, who was a monk there for over 52 years; he is 80 years old now but moves around as if he were in his 60s. The monks don't eat meat so neither did I for my stay there (good for the health!). It was beautiful working on the farm; the monks have 2,600 acres, mostly forests (if you want to see some pictures go to www.monks.org); I got to meet almost all the monks there. They are more talkative than you would think! It was great meeting them and hearing their own vocation stories, and sure enough they were curious about my own story, and how the Jesuits do things!
The monks get together for the Liturgy of the Hours 7 times a day. Vigils at 3:15 AM (I only went once to that prayer, the first night I was there, when I still felt 'ambitious…'), Lauds at 5:45 AM followed by Mass, Terce (meaning 'third' in latin) at 7:30 AM, Sext (meaning 'sixth' in latin…) at 12:15 PM, None (meaning 'ninth' in latin) at 2:15 PM, Vespers at 5:30 PM, and finally Compline at 7:30 PM. I attended six of the seven hours on a few days but usually I attended Lauds and Mass, Sext, Vespers and Compline (so 4 of 7, not bad). I very much enjoyed the silence: I had neither TV nor any computer access all that time to reflect, pray, work, and walk around on the trails in the forest.
I got a chance also to visit Thomas Merton's grave (Fr. Louis Merton, as he was known among the monks); a very simple grave, just like any other monk`s grave. The temperature and weather there was perfect, usually around 25 to 30 degrees with little humidity, although the last few days before I left, it reached to 38 degrees Celsius in the sun and 32 in the shade.
Three days after I got to the monastery, Fr. Damien, the guest-master, received an email from the person who drove me right up to the monastery (John), saying that he would very much like to buy me a one-way bus ticket from Louisville, KY (an hour away from the monastery) to Montreal, QC. I was debating to either hitchhike back or to take the bus, but this generosity and charity of John helped me to discern, so I decided to accept the offer. I thought that I took the easy way by taking the bus, but later I reflected that it is also a spiritual practice to be able to accept generosity and kindness from others, not to think that we are always self-sufficient and thus thinking we can do all things on our own.
At the end of the stay I went to Fr. Damien to give him a small icon of St. Ignatius Loyola that I made before leaving Montreal (no, I did not paint it myself, it was just a picture mounted on a piece of wood), as a small thank you gift. I also handed him an envelope with all the money that I received on the way there, as a donation since they fed me and lodged me at the monastery for the last three weeks (about 200 dollars US). Fr. Damien sternly said NO, and he said that the monastery wanted to pay ME for my work but it was my turn to say NO, since I didn't come there to make money. Then Fr. Damien told me to give it to the poor instead. Before leaving, other people ended up giving me about 80 dollars as a donation for my trip, and this also I decided to give to the poor.
The parents of a friend of mine named Scott, live in Louisville, KY, and he was visiting them while I was at the monastery. He came to visit me, and took me with him to Louisville to meet his parents and to house me for the night, since the next day, May 24th, my bus was leaving for Montreal. There was a huge Beatles festival that night, and we ended up going there, and was it ever a 180 degrees contrast from the previous three weeks! Here there were five different stages with live musicians, loud music from all sides, while at the monastery there was silence. Here as well there were many young people, including young women dressed very immodestly (the heat didn't help here either), which also made the transition from the cloister more dramatic!
The next day I left at 6:15 PM for my 26-hour bus ride to Montreal. I felt very stiff and sore but I arrived safe and sound on the 25th, at 8 pm! Our pilgrimage was supposed to be until the 28th, and we weren't supposed to go home before that, and here I was on the 25th in the city! I decided before I left the monastery that I would sleep on the streets of Montreal for the remaining nights before going back to the novitiate, but when I got to Montreal, the temperature was only 13 degrees at 8 pm, and bound to drop to 6 or 7 degrees at night; I wasn't prepared for such low temperatures.
I decided to go to the Jesuit church in the city, the Gesu, and see if they would take me in. I prayed 'Lord, if you want me to sleep outside, may no one open the door', so I went there, but lights were on all over the place, and they took me in without a problem; they didn't have any space apart from a room in the church tower, so I took that room, which had all I needed: a bed and a bathroom! Thus the last few days I spent walking around Montreal giving out all that money I got from my pilgrimage.
You wouldn't believe the faces of some of these poor people as I gave them 20 dollar bills! But they needed it more than me and plus, I had received this mission from Fr. Damien! I ended up giving away roughly 300 dollars! Thus came the end of my pilgrimage. It was a very blessed time. I recommend going on one if you have the time and energy to do it. I didn't quite believe that it was actually finished until I stepped into the novitiate.
The most common comments in peoples' cars had been: "what on earth made you go on such a trip?", "You must be crazy to hitchhike these days, it's so unsafe!" and my favourite: "you are either crazy or very brave", to which I answered, "well, I'm not brave…so I must be crazy!".
I was also very amazed at the fact that I spent ZERO dollars getting to the monastery. All was provided for me thanks to the generosity of the people I met; they fed me, lodged me, and they gave me money without me ever asking for it! All I ever told them was that I was a Jesuit pilgrim who didn't have much money, that was it!
I must say, as I look back, the most intense times of prayer happened as I was waiting for rides. "Lord, I know you will provide. I should stop worrying about all this, and just trust in your goodness. If you want me to get there, I will. If not, I won't. If you want me to eat today, I will. If not, I'll end up fasting" and so forth! Especially strong was my prayer in the evenings when I didn't know where I would sleep, such as in the episode with the protestant church! "Again, Lord if you want me to sleep outside, that's what I'll do, but if not, again, I accept all that you send me!" Overall, it was a very prayerful journey; one could say that it was rather a journey of prayer!
So that's my story in a nutshell!
Yours in the Lord,
Artur