Bishop Doug Sparks’ Sabbatical
A Pilgrimage of Remembrance and Lament: Walking the Potawatomi Trail of Death
This spring, from March 20-May 15, Bishop Doug will spend his sabbatical on a pilgrimage walking the Potawatomi Trail of Death. Through this webpage, we will provide you with periodic updates from Bishop Doug as he walks from Indiana to Kansas. We are also planning opportunities for you to learn more about the Potawatomi Trail of Death through a variety of experts. Please keep Bishop Doug in your prayers as he begins this journey.
In this video, Bishop Doug explains what he's be doing on his sabbatical and the purpose behind his pilgrimage along the Potawatomi Trail of Death.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks wearing a cross given to him as a gift from the Potawatomi to wear on his pilgrimage.
Videos
5/9/22 A week after completing his pilgrimage of remembrance and lament walk along the Potawatomi Trail of Death, Bishop Doug shares some reflections on his sabbatical from the Log Chapel at the University of Notre Dame.
4/24/22 Bishop Doug has completed the fifth week of his pilgrimage walk along the Potawatomi Trail of Death and provides the diocese with an update from Kansas City, Missouri.
4/17 - Bishop Doug Sparks provides his weekly update from his pilgrimage of remembrance and lament. He has completed four weeks and walked approximately 483 miles along the Potawatomi Trail of Death.
4/10/22 - Bishop Doug has completed the third week of his pilgrimage walk along the Potawatomi Trail of Death and provides the diocese with an update from Hannibal, Missouri.
4/3/22 Bishop Doug has completed the second week of his pilgrimage walk along the Potawatomi Trail of Death and provides the diocese with an update from Decatur, Illinois.
3/27/22 Bishop Doug has completed the first week of his pilgrimage walk along the Potawatomi Trail of Death and provides the diocese with an update from Danville, Illinois.
3/20/22 Bishop Doug Sparks led a prayer service at the Chief Menominee Monument the evening prior to his first day walking the Potawatomi Trail of Death.
3/20/22 The Third Sunday in Lent live-streamed from the Cathedral of Saint James in South Bend, Ind. As part of the service, we will remember The Rev. Benjamin Marie Petit, a Roman Catholic priest who walked with and ministered to the Potawatomi along the Trail of Death in 1838.
The Trail
Here is a map showing the Potawatomi Trail of Death and the route that Bishop Doug will be walking on his pilgrimage. For his safety, we will not be sharing his exact location publicly. However, if you would like to walk part of the trail with Bishop Doug as he passes through your community, please email Canon Christopher Hillak and he can connect you.
Potawatomi Trail of Death (map from potawatomi.org)
