Virtual Pilgrimage: A Pathway to Spiritual Renewal for Frontline Volunteers in Ottawa’s Shepherds of Good Hope

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.