At the beginning of the school year, around 350 students and animators from Colégio das Caldinhas and Colégio São João de Brito came together for a three-day pilgrimage from São Pedro de Moel to the Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré in Portugal. More than a physical journey, the experience offered an opportunity for prayer, reflection, fellowship and spiritual growth, as participants discovered the value of walking together and supporting one another along the way.

Colégio das Caldinhas and Colégio São João de Brito are part of the Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE), the network connecting Jesuit schools across Europe. In this article, Liara Gomes, an 11th-grade student at Colégio das Caldinhas, shares her personal reflections on the pilgrimage and the moments that made it a meaningful journey of faith and community.

At the start of this school year, from October 2 to 4, approximately 350 high school students and animators from Colégio das Caldinhas and Colégio São João de Brito accepted the challenge to set out and walk together toward the Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré.

For three days, we walked the route from São Pedro de Moel to the Shrine, on a pilgrimage that was much more than just a hike! It was an invitation to step outside our comfort zone, to leave behind some of our certainties, and to seek a deeper meaning in what we experience. The pilgrimage guide asked us to look inward, to understand what drives us, what holds us back, and what so often robs us of our peace.

It all began by the sea, where students from the two schools met. We celebrated Mass and had lunch in small groups, and it was there that the first bonds began to form between people who, until then, might not even have known each other. It was also on that day that we prayed the Rosary for the first time. Amid prayer, conversation, and fellowship, we began to realize that this journey would be made as much with our feet as with our hearts.

The second day was probably the hardest. The trails were more challenging, and there were moments when our bodies truly felt the weight of the kilometers. But it was precisely in the midst of that exhaustion that some of the most beautiful moments took place. At the end of the day, we stopped by the sea to pray as the sun set. The sky was changing colors, and a special silence fell—the kind where you don’t need to say a word to feel that you’re not alone. In that moment, the beauty of nature became an invitation to contemplate and recognize God’s presence along the way, even when the journey is difficult.

During one of the prayers that day, we heard “Fragilidade,” a song by Fr. Duarte Rosado, S.J., with profound and very beautiful lyrics. After such a demanding day, the idea of acknowledging our frailties—rather than hiding them—took on a very special meaning for all of us: “Não queiras a perfeição / Escolhe antes a bondade” [“Do not seek perfection / Choose kindness instead.”]

After the prayer, we still had a ways to go to the sports hall where we would spend the night. It was there, upon arriving at the sports hall, that we experienced one of the most symbolic moments of the entire pilgrimage: we washed one another’s feet. The gesture recalled Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and taught, in all its simplicity, the value of caring for others. Allowing someone to wash our feet—and doing the same for another person—was almost like a way of saying, “I’m here to care for you, and I accept that you care for me.” The day ended with another Mass, in an atmosphere marked by fatigue, but also by the feeling that, despite the difficulties, we were growing ever closer together.

On the last day, we were invited to experience part of the journey in a different way. For a while, we walked alone, in silence, with space to pray and contemplate nature. After two days spent constantly in the company of fellow pilgrims, group leaders, and Jesuits, that silence gave us the opportunity to look inward and reflect on what each of us was carrying within. That day’s route was also long and demanding. We crossed through wooded areas and once again faced moments of great difficulty—which for many may have been the hardest part of the pilgrimage—and perhaps for that very reason, finally arriving at the Shrine held such special meaning.

We prayed the Rosary one last time, in small groups, and when we finally caught sight of the Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré, our weariness gave way to joy. We had arrived! On the steps of the Shrine, we sang and prayed together, entrusting the journey we had made to Our Lady! Later, we celebrated Mass at the Shrine—which was also open to anyone who wished to join us—and this brought our journey to a close.

We believe it wasn’t just the kilometers that brought us closer to our destination—it was also the conversations, the silences, the shared fatigue, and all the little ways we helped one another along the way. We realized that going on a pilgrimage is much more than just reaching a destination. It is about acknowledging our weaknesses, learning to trust others, and discovering that the journey becomes easier when undertaken in community and unity.

This pilgrimage strengthened our faith and helped us understand that walking together can profoundly change the way we view ourselves, others, and God.

Liara Gomes, 11th-grade student of Colégio das Caldinhas