A pilgrimage is a journey one takes, literally and/or spiritually, to a holy place with the intention of growing in one’s relationship with God. Many women and men from around the United States make a “pilgrimage” each year to the Hildegard Haus shrine in Fairport Harbor to meet with our founder while spending time in the gardens and the church.

This is a bit reminiscent of the way pilgrims would travel to Disibodenberg and later Rupertsberg to visit with Hildegard. In a letter written by the Monk Guibert to Hildegard around the year 1176, he informs her that one of the monks named Siger was planning to make a pilgrimage to see her. The following is an excerpt from this letter:

“Hail, therefore, lady full of grace, after Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed the speech of your mouth, which conveys the secrets of invisible things to men, and couples the heavenly to the earthly, and joins the divine to the human. Believing this with our whole heart, we confess with our mouth that you are the fountain of gardens…You beloved son, brother Siger, is here with us, and, marvelously freed, has heeded your counsel and announced his contempt for the glory of this world. He is preparing to make a devout pilgrimage once again to the sweet breasts of your consolation. Through him, we, in our humility, send our greetings to you in the love of Christ, and commend ourselves to your holy prayers with full devotion” (43-44).

In addition to receiving pilgrims and advising clergy and religious regarding religious pilgrimages, Hildegard often described our journey on this earth as a pilgrimage and therefore us as pilgrims.

Many pilgrims travel each year to the Land of St. Hildegard to visit her reliquary and the holy sites connected with her life (including Disibodenberg, Rupertsberg, Sponheim, and Ingelheim).  In 2019, the Hildegard Pilgrimage Way (Hildegardweg) was launched in Hildegard’s homeland. Dr. Annette Esser, founder and director of the Scivias Institute in Bad Kreuznach, Germany was the visionary behind this project.  The 85-mile pilgrimage walk is marked by signs along the way that depict a silhouette of a nun. We felt it was appropriate to include this symbol here at the Hildegard Haus as we too are connected in our own way to the Hildegard Trail.

The indoor piece, which points visitors downstairs to the church hall in the lower level, was made by artist Rosalba Alcarez. The medium used was eggshells and paint. She collected months worth of eggs to create this piece. The outdoor piece, on the gate that welcomes visitors into the backyard patio and herb gardens, was made by artist Rick Sterringer. The medium used was metal and paint.

On September 17, 2021, Rebecca Fasanello recorded a German pilgrimage song, Auf Jakobswegen to celebrate our anniversary.  This is a song traditionally sung on the Santiago de Compostela (Way of St. James) but it has now been sung here as well!