By Dr. Jared Staudt

This October I’m leading my first pilgrimage. It will coincide with a book I have coming out, The Beer Option: A Catholic Guide to Beer and Culture, which will be published by Angelico. The pilgrimage aims at exploring Catholic culture in its fullness: great art and architecture, food and drink, religious life, and the saints. My wife, Anne, and I are leading the trip along with Fr. John Riley, chaplain of the Augustine Institute.

I think of the pilgrimage as an immersion into Catholic culture: prayer and conversation with the monks, fellowship over meals, experiencing some of the greatest art in the world, and learning more about our Catholic heritage. More than anything else, I think the pilgrimage will be a lot of fun and an enriching spiritual experience.

I can’t wait to “meet” many of my favorite saints: Louis King of France, Vincent de Paul, Catherine Labouré, Thérèse and her parents, Joan of Arc, Ven. Prosper Guéranger (founder of Solesmes), and Bl. Columba Marmion (one of the greatest spiritual writers of the last century, who influenced St. John Paul II and Mother Teresa). I’m excited for a day at the Louvre, a tour of Chartres, and visits to monastic breweries, including Westvleteren, which produces the number one rated beer in the world.

I would love to travel with some men who have done Exodus 90 and are ready to drink some beer! As I mentioned, my wife is coming along as well, so it would be a great opportunity to bring your wife along and to grow in your marriage. Your wife might not be a huge fan of beer, but I bet she would love Paris and wants to visit Lisieux!

The dates are this coming October 19-29. We’re flying from Denver, but it’s possible to arrange airfare from other cities to meet up in Paris. The entire itinerary and travel details are available here, at the website of Religious Travel International, which is running all of the logistics for the trip.

My mission is to work for the renewal of Catholic culture. I’m really happy to be leading this pilgrimage as one step toward immersing ourselves in the great Catholic tradition and finding ways to integrate our faith into everything that we do, including how we eat and drink!

Dr. Jared Staudt

R. Jared Staudt is the Director of Formation for the Offices of Evangelization and Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Denver and teaches for the Augustine Institute. He earned his BA and MA in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and his PhD in Systematic Theology from Ave Maria University in Florida. Staudt served previously as a director of religious education in two parishes, taught at the University of Mary, and served as co-editor of the theological journal Nova et Vetera. He is a Benedictine oblate and author of The Beer Option (Angelico Press).  He and his wife Anne have six children.


03 / 02 / 2018
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