I have always thought there was something magical about mountains: The wind singing down from the highest peaks, the snow and ice that never disappears entirely even on the hottest summer days, the wild life big and small along the mountainside. The majesty, the loneliness, the terrifying heights, the immense beauty – it all calls to me. There is something about the glory of a mountain that awakes in me a wonder, a desire to pursue and unite with the glory of God.
And I am not the first to have thought so!
The Church is filled with holy hikers who have been moved by mountains throughout the ages!
And I am not the first to have thought so!
The Church is filled with holy hikers who have been moved by mountains throughout the ages!
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati once said, “Every day that passes, I fall more desperately in love with the mountains. I am ever more determined to climb them, to scale the mighty peaks, to feel that pure joy which can only be felt in the mountains.”
I think that we would have been friends.
Living in Italy, Pier Giorgio journeyed with friends out to the Alps as often as he could, climbing toward the heavens in the company of those he loved. They would laugh and climb and climb and laugh and when the cohort could barely move any further, they would stop to soak in that crisp mountain air. While most in the company were still gasping for their breath, the tireless Pier Giorgio would convince all to join in a rosary or a short prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty around them before rallying those gathered to continue the climb.
I think that we would have been friends.
Living in Italy, Pier Giorgio journeyed with friends out to the Alps as often as he could, climbing toward the heavens in the company of those he loved. They would laugh and climb and climb and laugh and when the cohort could barely move any further, they would stop to soak in that crisp mountain air. While most in the company were still gasping for their breath, the tireless Pier Giorgio would convince all to join in a rosary or a short prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty around them before rallying those gathered to continue the climb.
He would often pay large sums of money to convince priests to come out to the mountains to say Mass for the crew. If he could not find a priest to celebrate the Eucharist, Pier Giorgio would decline the invitation of friends and the call of the mountains that pulled on his heartstrings until a later weekend. Many passions filled the life of Pier Giorgio, among them daily Mass, the Eucharist, and serving the poor. What little free time he had he spent challenging his body and spirit ascending the mountains. Once he reached the top, he would sit for hours admiring the beauty around him and contemplating the immensity of God in the heights.
The beloved Blessed John Paul II – who was first polish priest Karol Wojtyla – was inspired by reading about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in a Catholic mountaineering magazine(I’ve done significant research on this. With deep regret, I must inform you that such a thing no longer exists…). Karol was passionate about the world around him and loved few things in life more than long trips immersing himself in nature. Taking every chance he could to get in close contact with the fingerprints of his creator, Karol became an avid mountaineer early in life. Before being summoned to Rome, he would often lead youth from his parish and the surrounding area on weekend-long treks through the mountains. On Sunday mornings before returning home, he would seek out an old tree stump or large boulder to serve as an altar. Consecrating the Eucharist in Mass by the light of the sunrise just peaking over the mountain, all in camp would celebrate in the feast together. Though mountain treks significantly decreased during his papacy, Pope John Paul II still remain committed to health and fitness. Tourists climbing to the dome in St. Peter’s square often reported sightings of the pope jogging through the Vatican gardens. Though media consults brought these concerns to the pope, he simply replied, “so what?”
And don’t even get me started about St. Bernard!
<Image of St. Bernard dog redacted for copywrite reasons>
And don’t even get me started about St. Bernard!
<Image of St. Bernard dog redacted for copywrite reasons>
No… Not those St. Bernard’s! This guy…
Actually, the dogs are an important part of this story too!
Saint Bernard of Menthon was a priest in the 10th century AD. He lived in the alps and is most well-known for building the highest elevation monastery to date and serving the people of the mountains. His works included starting a nightly patrol which served to both clear the mountainside of robbers, as well as search for pilgrims travelling to Rome. Many people died in blizzard conditions on the treacherous pilgrimage through the alps; and in addition to evangelizing the local population, the primary mission of the monastery he built was to provide hospice and shelter for these faithful travelers. To aid in their dangerous work, the monks began breeding and training large dogs for search and rescue missions in the mountains. These dogs, known as St. Bernards, are still employed in mountain rescue missions today (notice the first aid kits carried by the dogs)!
In so many ways, these men and other faithful men and women all over the world have been inspired by the mountains. God has placed a fire in their hearts for adventure, and they have answered the call. What is most admirable in my eyes is that all of these men harnessed their passions and used them to bring about the glory of God. They did not just seek pleasure and happiness for their own sakes. They used the mountains as a tool for prayer, an opportunity to immerse themselves in beauty, a chance to connect their hearts with the Creator of heaven and earth.
There is something in the mountains that speak of majesty. My heart longs for adventure. I am inspired by the examples that precede me, and pray that I too may have the courage and the ability to use my own passions to bring about the glory of God!
Written by:
Shayn Roeder
Saint Bernard of Menthon was a priest in the 10th century AD. He lived in the alps and is most well-known for building the highest elevation monastery to date and serving the people of the mountains. His works included starting a nightly patrol which served to both clear the mountainside of robbers, as well as search for pilgrims travelling to Rome. Many people died in blizzard conditions on the treacherous pilgrimage through the alps; and in addition to evangelizing the local population, the primary mission of the monastery he built was to provide hospice and shelter for these faithful travelers. To aid in their dangerous work, the monks began breeding and training large dogs for search and rescue missions in the mountains. These dogs, known as St. Bernards, are still employed in mountain rescue missions today (notice the first aid kits carried by the dogs)!
In so many ways, these men and other faithful men and women all over the world have been inspired by the mountains. God has placed a fire in their hearts for adventure, and they have answered the call. What is most admirable in my eyes is that all of these men harnessed their passions and used them to bring about the glory of God. They did not just seek pleasure and happiness for their own sakes. They used the mountains as a tool for prayer, an opportunity to immerse themselves in beauty, a chance to connect their hearts with the Creator of heaven and earth.
There is something in the mountains that speak of majesty. My heart longs for adventure. I am inspired by the examples that precede me, and pray that I too may have the courage and the ability to use my own passions to bring about the glory of God!
Written by:
Shayn Roeder
