By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

As many throughout the United States enjoyed a day off this past November in recognition of the nation’s military veterans, a group of men from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Dallas have found a unique way to honor U.S. veterans. Their annual pilgrimage, a Veterans Day tradition now in its third year, is an 18-mile trek from their parish to the Mount Carmel Center that combines spiritual growth, camaraderie, and a shared commitment to the Divine Mercy.

The idea originated with St. Patrick parishioners Greg Signall, a U.S. veteran whose birthday coincides with Veterans Day, and Rob Clow, an advocate for those struggling with the reality of suicide.

“Initially, since I’m a veteran and my birthday is on Veterans Day, my friend Rob had an idea to make a day of it,” Signall explained. “So, we did, with the thought we could pray for veterans and those affected by suicide. Another man, new to the parish at the time, joined us. We made it up as we went along. Originally, there were three of us.”

Over the years, the group has steadily grown, with four participants in the second year and five this past Veterans Day.

“It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” Clow said. “I’m like a kid at Christmas as it approaches. My hope is that for the other participants, it is a ‘fill your cup’ type of experience as we pray for each other, the Church, and the conversion of those who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.”

The pilgrimage begins at 8 a.m. at St. Patrick and culminates with a 5:30 p.m. Mass at Mount Carmel. Following the journey, the men gather for a steak dinner, a tradition that cements the group’s bond and offers a joyful end to the day.

For the past two years during the pilgrimage, participants have carried paintings of the Divine Mercy by an Irving artist, a practice that has become central to the walk’s evangelical mission.

“Carrying the painting added the evangelical and mission aspect we had hoped for from the beginning,” Clow said, explaining that at the end of the day, the painting is given to someone. “We have given it away as God has called us to each year. Prior to the walk, we do not know who we will give the painting to…We draw consensus amongst the group during the walk as we pray.”

For Signall, the addition of the Divine Mercy to the pilgrimage profoundly deepened the experience for him.

“While the intent has remained the same all three years, with the addition of the Divine Mercy, the experience has become profoundly meaningful,” he said, explaining that as a convert to Catholicism in 2008, the Divine Mercy didn’t initially resonate with him. “Introducing it into the context of veterans and suicide prevention has opened me up entirely to Divine Mercy to such an extent, I struggle to express the intimacy with which it continues to work on and through me.”

Signall credits the Divine Mercy with reshaping his sense of compassion, impacting his roles as a husband, father, friend, and colleague.

“The image of the Divine Mercy now proudly and humbly hangs in our home, thanks to the generous gift of the portrait to my family from Rob,” he said, noting that he now has a profound sense of gratitude for the Lord and “how tenderly His mercy and grace can work within us for the ultimate benefit of all whom we encounter throughout each day.”

For Signall, the highlight of the pilgrimage isn’t just the prayer and reflection—it is also the fellowship.

“My favorite part is simply spending time with these best friends, sharing the daily challenges which drive us deeper into our shared faith, supporting and encouraging one another, candidly and humorously calling out one another—like the boys depicted in the movie ‘The Sandlot’—and simply and unwittingly being Jesus to one another in the most casual and sometimes intimate ways, while sharing our food along the way,” he said.

This year, another member of the group, Andy Ellard, suggested expanding the tradition to include other parishes.

“If it were within God’s will to grow the experience, our hope would be for other parishes to walk to the center from their home parish,” Clow said. “Then that evening, after all have arrived, we would all celebrate Mass together.”

As the group looks forward to next year’s pilgrimage, the men hope their journey inspires others to embrace the transformative power of faith, fellowship, and the Divine Mercy.

“My sense of hope has been transformed; my footing is a little more sure; my family is a little more at peace; and my spiritual life has opened back up after a time in the desert,” Signall said. “I hope such a pilgrimage as this may help other participants grow in their faith.”

Cutline for featured image: From left, Greg Signall, Tommy Schroepfer, Rob Clow, Ed Evidente, and Andy Ellard pose with an image of the Divine Mercy during their annual 18-mile pilgrimage from their St. Patrick Catholic Church in Dallas to the Mount Carmel Center on Nov. 11, 2024. (Courtesy photo)