A Pilgrimage of Faith, Fraternity, and Remembrance

Published by Fr. Jaime Oved Cabrejo RUIZ SMM in Colombia · Wednesday 27 May 2026 · 2:45
Tags: NU, COL, 1348

[ES] [FR]

VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia – From April 18 to 26, 2026, we had the grace to experience, along with other pilgrim brothers and sisters, the “Following in the Footsteps of Montfort,” traveling along ancient missionary routes between Choachí, Chingaza, San Juanito, El Calvario, Montfort, and Villavicencio, following the spiritual and human traces left by the first Montfortian missionaries in Colombia.

This pilgrimage was also our special way, as the Colombian Province, of celebrating the feast of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort on April 28, the year in which we commemorated the 310th anniversary of his passing. Walking together along these historic paths became for us a profound experience of grateful remembrance, spiritual renewal, and missionary communion.

The group consisted of 17 pilgrims: two Montfortian priests, a pre-novice, a novice, and several lay people from different communities, in addition to two chaperones who formed the logistical support team throughout the pilgrimage and an experienced local guide. From the beginning, we felt united by a shared spirit of seeking, fraternity, and dedication, which marked each day of the journey.

We experienced days of demanding hikes through high-altitude plains, mountains, forests, rivers, and along roads. However, beyond the physical exhaustion, these were days profoundly marked by prayer, fraternity, and contemplation of God's presence in nature and in the communities that welcomed us with immense generosity.

Each day was accompanied by a spiritual guide prepared by Fr. Jaime Oved Cabrejo RUIZ SMM, Provincial Superior, inspired by Gospel verbs such as coming, seeing, listening, learning, observing, walking, and following. These meditations helped integrate the physical experience of the journey with an inner experience of faith and discernment.

One of the most significant moments of the pilgrimage was crossing the Chingaza moorland, reaching altitudes of nearly 4,000 meters, as well as arriving at San Juanito, an emblematic place in Montfortian history in Colombia. There, we visited the old novitiate, shared with the community, and gratefully remembered the silent and courageous dedication of so many missionaries who evangelized these lands with simplicity and apostolic zeal.

The pilgrimage was also marked by concrete acts of solidarity and service: the constant support among companions, the hospitality of the parish communities, and the accompaniment of those who made all the logistics of the journey possible. More than a physical journey, this experience was for us a true encounter with God, with the living memory of the Montfortian mission, and with the profound joy of walking together.

The pilgrimage was concluded at the Cathedral of Villavicencio, under the gaze of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. There we inwardly renewed our desire to continue being pilgrims of the Gospel, living with a spirit of dedication, simplicity, and love for Jesus through Mary.

Fr. Jaime Oved Cabrejo Ruiz SMM

Provincial Superior — Province of Colombia

reviews

Your opinion is important to us and helps us improve our service.