Join theologian and veteran activist Ken Butigan in an online pilgrimage of peace to Assisi, where together we will “virtually visit” and reflect on the powerful sites where the lives of St Francis and St Clare were transformed—and where the nonviolent revolution they sparked began.

In 2019 Pace e Bene led a moving pilgrimage to Assisi. It was a breathtaking experience, with thirty of us walking in the footsteps of the founders of the Franciscan tradition and their call for us to become agents of nonviolent change. As pilgrims of peace, we reflected deeply on the story of Francis and Clare and its enduring message of renouncing violence and pursuing the nonviolent life as it unfolded in this beautiful Italian hill town eight centuries ago.

The pandemic prevents us from returning to Assisi anytime soon – but it doesn’t stop us from embarking on a virtual pilgrimage to experience this “city of peace” and its many sites that evoke the profound spiritual awakening which Francis and Clare helped unleash in the late Middle Ages. Such an awakening is needed now more than ever.

In this series, we will reflect on the meaning of places that were key to the spiritual voyage of the peacemaking Francis and Clare, while pondering our own call as peacemakers today. This exploration will draw on the ancient ritual of pilgrimage and its stages: The Longing, The Call, The Preparation, The Departure, The Journey, the Arrival at the Center, The Return, and The Integration.

This series will include a weekly presentation, group reflections, short readings, and discussion posts. Each participant will receive a Franciscan Nonviolence backgrounder.