How and when do we start?

We will officially begin with a one-hour Zoom Orientation. During this webinar, we will introduce you to the history, themes, and spiritual practices that will guide our pilgrimage. We will orient you to the schedule and logistics of how the walking and digital-community experience will work throughout our journey.

What if I can’t make the orientation?

Orientation will be recorded and e-mailed to every registrant, as well as be made available here in the web-app. If you are unable to make the live webinar, we encourage you to watch the recorded version before you set out for your first walk.

How long are the walks?

We suggest planning your walks to be about 60 minutes whenever possible. Some people may want to set aside more time each day for longer walks or personal retreat time. You may also find you need to divide up a walk and listen to parts over a couple of days.

What will I be doing while I walk?

Our team has designed audioguides that can be streamed or downloaded to play on your phone each day. Each walk has a theme that incorporates stories, scripture, prayer practices, and reflection questions to help you engage the embodied spiritual practice of walking outdoors. You can press pause at any point in a walk to give yourself more time to pray or process before continuing.

How will I know where to walk?

You can walk anywhere outside, though we encourage you to try as best as you can to be around God-created nature. This might be a hike in the woods or a park, or simply a walk around your neighborhood. If possible, choose a route with trees and plants. Take some time to plan where you would like to walk along the Franciscan Way .

If you experience limitations in your environment or body that prevent you from walking participation in the Franciscan Way, we welcome you to engage with the audioguides by sitting and listening in an outdoor location.

What will I be doing when I’m NOT walking?

We have prepared a number of additional guiding and communal experiences:

DEBRIEF GROUPS

We encourage you to process and share your experience with other participants in small groups two to four times throughout the Fransican Way. You can use the "How to Debrief in Small Groups" page in the journal or the Debriefing page in the web-app to guide your debrief time.

JOURNAL

You are invited to reflect on your experience of walking and listening to the audioguides through the Journal.

EVENTS

You will have opportunities each week to participate in online webinars, see the Events page for details. All events will be recorded so if you are not able to join in live, you will be able to watch the content at a later time.

GOING DEEPER

Each week there are video and audio resources that you can access through the web app to go deeper into the theme. These include Coffee with Fr. Murray videos, additional audio stories, and even some videos of Assisi. You are invited to enjoy as many or as few of these resources as helps you along the Franciscan Way.