During the pandemic, InterVarsity designed a creative new model for spiritual growth and community. Various InterVarsity teams came together to create audio walking guides themed around the idea of pilgrimage, telling stories from Christian pilgrims in different times and places. Participants could walk and listen to the guides on their own, then connect with a community to talk about them. That creativity in a hard time birthed a new tradition in InterVarsity of offering a Via Divina pilgrimage walk audio guide each year.
This walk is drawn from The Celtic Way, a Via Divina audio guide series exploring Irish pilgrimage traditions. It weaves together storytelling about Irish saints and biblical figures, reflections on nature, and approachable invitations to spiritual reflection. It also brings together the diversity of ministries in InterVarsity, with storytelling and creative design contributed by: InterVarsity Study Abroad, Faculty Ministry, Native Ministries and LaFe Latino Fellowship. InterVarsity offers this walk as a gift to ASA participants seeking a contemplative experience of nature and community while at the ASA Annual Meeting.
Walking on the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus @ASA
Time: About 1 hour
You can enjoy this walk on your own or with a group, anywhere on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.
Click to view larger map of University of Toronto Mississauga
Walk. Love. Rebuild.
In the Celtic tradition of Christianity pilgrims didn’t have a definite destination. They only knew and trusted the trinitarian God who called them as they headed out. This could be a description of the past years which have felt like a time of wandering for many people. We long for some anchor in this uncertainty.
Today you are invited to listen to the seventh walk of this series of eight audio guides: Branch 3: Community. In this walk you will engage with stories of St. Kevin, Mary, and others.
If you’d like to prepare for the walk, here are three suggestions. You can also just jump down to the audio guide instructions and get started. Blessings!
As an introduction to this practice, we invite you to watch / listen to a 9-minute video:
Also, if helpful, you can download the interactive journal where you can take field notes on your walk and engage with some reflection questions.
Before or after you walk, you may want to take five minutes to engage with this Visio Divina video.
Here’s the link to the audio guide along with instructions on streaming or downloading the guides.
How to Stream or Download the Audio Guides
- STREAMING
- If your data plan permits, you can stream the audio guides right from the player from the button above. Be aware that the audio may stop playing if your screen goes dark, depending on your phone settings.
- If your data plan permits, you can stream the audio guides right from the player from the button above. Be aware that the audio may stop playing if your screen goes dark, depending on your phone settings.
- DOWNLOADING TO YOUR DEVICE
- If you prefer to download an audio-guide file straight to your phone, be aware that downloaded files store in different places on different devices, and you’ll need to Google your particular device’s file storage to know where and how to play the audio guide that way.
- If you prefer to download an audio-guide file straight to your phone, be aware that downloaded files store in different places on different devices, and you’ll need to Google your particular device’s file storage to know where and how to play the audio guide that way.
- RSS: FOR SMOOTH LISTENING
- If you’re an avid podcast user, you can add our audio guides straight to your favorite podcast app by using the “RSS feed” and copying and pasting https://feed.podbean.com/thecelticway/feed.xml into your podcast app. Follow this handy guide to add the feed to your app. Then, you can download any of our audio guides just like you would any other podcast episode.
- If you’re an avid podcast user, you can add our audio guides straight to your favorite podcast app by using the “RSS feed” and copying and pasting https://feed.podbean.com/thecelticway/feed.xml into your podcast app. Follow this handy guide to add the feed to your app. Then, you can download any of our audio guides just like you would any other podcast episode.
We pray that this time has brought a time of rest and reflection as you walked in nature, with the stories of Jesus, Francis, and contemporary pilgrims.
Watch ESN publications or sign-up for InterVarsity’s Campus Calling newsletter to learn about future Via Divina experiences. If you would like to learn about hosting this resource for a group contact Jamie Noyd, Director of Via Divina for Faculty, jamie.noyd@intervarsity.org
Another spiritual formation resource available to ASA conference goers is the ASA Prayer Committee. To join or request prayer email: prayer@asa3.org