An interactive quiz: What kind of pilgrim are you?

Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
18 hours ago
6 min read

We’re all pilgrims in this wonderful world, yet God created each of us unique. Even when we have the same ultimate destination, not everyone arrives in the same way or sees through the same lens. If you’ve ever juggled different travel styles (spontaneous? prebooked? sleep in and chill? max out the day?), then you understand this phenomenon. Particularly in pilgrimage, pinpointing what kind of pilgrim you are facilitates a richer, more satisfying experience.

I’m heavily influenced by coming of age during the magazine era, so here’s a fun quiz to determine what kind of pilgrim you are—plus practical tips for your style. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be running a deep-dive series into each pilgrim type, so come back to Thy Ship for more insights, tips, and practical guidance. Today, enjoy the quiz!

What kind of pilgrim are you?

1. What will always be found in your travel bag?

A. A journal

B. A rosary, a scapular, and a travel-size missal

C. Snacks to share and a selfie stick for group photos

D. A bestselling guidebook or Yelp bookmarks

2. When you're planning a trip, what's the first thing you do?

A. Deep-dive on the history and meaning of the place

B. Check the feast day calendar to see what aligns with your itinerary

C. Ask your friends who else is coming

D. Google "best things to do in –” and start pinning a map

3. You have an unplanned hour in an unfamiliar city. What are you most likely to do?

A. Take a long walk

B. Look up Mass times to see if there’s a liturgy you can make

C. Ask who wants to grab a quick drink

D. Check Trip Advisor for the top attractions

4. What moment stays with you longest after a trip?

A. The light hitting stone walls, a crackled painting, the sound of an organ in an ancient cathedral

B. Standing in a place where Church history happened

C. Conversations and inside jokes that developed along the way

D. A surprise that wasn’t on your itinerary

5. When you hear about saints connected to a place you're visiting, you...

A. Want to know everything about their inner life: what they struggled with, what they longed for, what they experienced here

B. Add their feast days and shrines to your notes

C. Share the story with whoever you're traveling with

D. Google their names to find out who they are

6. When you go to Mass in a foreign country, you...

A. Feel deeply moved by something you can't quite name: the universality, mystery, and beauty

B. Are exactly where you planned to be—you picked this church weeks ago

C. Feel connected as a spiritual family to the strangers worshipping alongside you

D. Feel uplifted and happy you decided to go

7. What's playing on your ideal pilgrimage soundtrack?

A. Instrumental music or silence

B. Brandon Lake, Lauren Daigle, Matt Maher on repeat

C. A playlist that makes everyone sing along

D. My usual Spotify

Your results

Mostly As: The Seeker

You're not always sure what you're looking for, but your heart pulls you toward the pursuit. For you, pilgrimage is less about the destination and more about the ache that swells when you’re immersed in beauty and history. You're drawn to the saints not as distant heroes but as people who understood that hunger.

Pilgrimage buddies: St Augustine: He spent his youth reaching out for more, ultimately encountering the Creator through creation. St Thérèse: She understood the sweet ache of longing for more beauty than one lifetime could contain.

Where to go: Paris: transcendent beauty envelops your senses through the city’s art, architecture, culture, food, and light; there are also countless secret pilgrimage sites here. You’ll also love New Orleans, which bursts with Catholic riches, sensory feast, and joie de vivre.

Pro tip: Walk instead of taking public transit, especially because most metros take you underground instead of outside where you can soak in the surroundings. Go for walks early in the morning and at golden hour—the light will pierce your heart and soul.

Mostly Bs: The Catholic Bucket List

Disney, the Bahamas, and New York can wait. You long to fulfill your bucket list of Catholic dream destinations: Lourdes, Fatima, Rome. When the flyers go up at your parish, you're the first to sign up for notifications.

Pilgrimage buddies: St Benedict Joseph Labre: He spent his whole life in transit from pilgrimage site to pilgrimage site. St Helena: The queen of pilgrimage bucket lists, Helena traveled to the Holy Land and successfully located the relics of Jesus’ crucifixion, ultimately transporting them back to Rome.

Where to go: Rome, Lourdes, Fatima: You’ll love seeing these beloved sites with your own eyes and joining the rich pilgrimage legacy. In the United States, consider the incredible National Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hancesville, Alabama, or the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, which is the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.

Pro tip: Check seasonal and feast day events at your destination before you book your dates. Many shrines host special Masses, processions, and celebrations that you won’t want to miss.

Related: What to pack for Lourdes and Rome

Mostly Cs: The Companion

For you, the most special moments of any trip happen around a table. Faith has always been something you experience most deeply in community; pilgrimage just makes that more obvious.

Pilgrimage buddies: St John the Apostle: He stayed close to Jesus through every journey, all the way to the end. St Zelie Martin: While her husband, St Louis, was an avid traveler, Zelie reveled in relationships above all.

Where to go: Ireland for the pubs, the music and dancing, the roadtrip potential. You’ll also love Poland, where you and your friends can experience deep community (a la St John Paul II!) in Krakow, the Tatra mountains, or Gdansk. In the United States, San Antonio is easily accessible for friends meeting up, with endless cafes, bars, shops, and interesting history. Plus, you can make a special pilgrimage to the missions.

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to take initiative and invite people. Many people desire pilgrimage, but never get around to making it happen. You're the one who can change that. Sometimes all it takes is a simple invitation to convert wishes to reality.

Mostly Ds: The Accidental Pilgrim

You came for the iconic landmarks and experiences—and then something unexpectedly touched your heart. A quiet chapel next to the Pantheon, a saint’s grave adjacent to a celebrity tomb, breathtaking beauty inside a famous cathedral. Grace hovers everywhere. And, of course, we’re big fans of going differently and making any place a pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage buddies: St Paul: He wasn't looking, either, when he profoundly encountered Jesus in unexpected places. St Mary of Egypt: She traveled to Jerusalem for deeply disordered reasons, but God met her there anyway.

Where to go: Any major tourist city in Europe also offers deep Catholic history and encounters. Closer to home, consider St Augustine, Florida; Washington D.C.; or San Juan, Puerto Rico—all of these popular vacation destinations have rich spiritual depth, connection to saints and Church history, and sites of pilgrimage significance.

Pro tip: Wherever you are, stop in the local cathedrals and basilicas—there are often surprising relics or other points of significance tucked inside. You can also look for “small brown signs” posted around cities. Unlike green or blue directional signage, the small brown signs are breadcrumbs that often lead to "hidden in plain sight" locations rich with soul. Also, consider a short pilgrimage day or half-day trip: for example, Lisieux is an easy trip from Paris; Assisi is an easy day trip from Rome.