The Catholic Church has always viewed patriotism as a virtue, and today we need to be clear in how it differs from nationalism. Patriotism has emotional roots in the love of one’s country. However, emotional attachment does not make one a patriot.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told a parable about a fig tree planted in a vineyard which year after year bore no fruit. Finally, the owner was tired of waiting and called upon the gardener to cut it down because it was a waste of space. But the gardener knew that the tree just needed time, patience, and love to heal.

The Notre Dame Pilgrimage was begun by Rev. Jim Mulligan, a Holy Cross father and Notre Dame teacher who started the tradition in 1975 after a pilgrimage he experienced in France. It quickly grew beyond Notre Dame to include other high schools in the Niagara Catholic District School Board. They now organize their own pilgrimages after the original became too large for them all.