NORTHAMPTON — About two dozen men, including some wielding large, wooden crosses, passed through downtown Northampton on Thursday evening en route to a religious site in Stockbridge.
Peter Prackett, one of the group’s supervisors, said they hail from St. Benedict Center, in Still River, and are on a nearly 100-mile pilgrimage to worship at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge.
The group comprises 16 youths and five religious brothers from the center, ranging in age from 16 to 20, Prackett said.
Their journey, which began Thursday, has caught the eye of curious onlookers as these men pass through communities.
The group started in Turners Falls, where they kayaked about 30 miles down the Connecticut River until they reached Northampton, Prackett said. Then, they walked about 10 miles to Westhampton where they stayed overnight at Windy Acres Family Campground.
By Friday morning, Prackett said, the group was bound for Lee — walking more than 30 miles — where they would rest another night and continue to the Shrine of Divine Mercy, at 2 Prospect Hill Road in Stockbridge, where they are expected to arrive Saturday morning.
“It’s a spiritual pilgrimage,” Prackett said. “So, you stop along the way and have spiritual meditations — how to pray, how to live closer to God, how to be kind to your neighbor.”
Prackett is accompanied by one other group leader, Rev. Patrick Duffy, 23. Prackett said, while the rest of the group has been trekking on foot, he’s bound to a car. That way, he said, he can drive ahead to prepare the campsites and pick up any of the youngsters who tire along the way. He said he also cooks for the group.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5234.