Christian holy sites around the world welcome visitors

The spiritual practice of pilgrimage is part of all the world's major religions. Muslims travel to Mecca, Jews to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and Buddhists to sites associated with Gautama Buddha. Especially during the season of Lent that leads up to Easter, many Christians find inspiration in holy sites around the world. While Jerusalem is the most famous pilgrimage destination, here are six others — some close to home and others abroad — that welcome seekers.

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wis.

Constructed over a seven-year period that culminated in the dedication of its main church in 2008, this shrine honors an appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, a peasant of indigenous descent, in 1531 in Mexico City. Its buildings are situated on a peaceful, 100-acre site overlooking wooded countryside just a few miles from the Mississippi River.

Visitors enter through a Pilgrim Center and then walk up a winding path, first passing a lovely small chapel and several outdoor devotional areas, and then proceeding to the main church, which is designed in a 17th-century Italianate Renaissance style. Nearby is a garden watched over by a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, and farther up the hill are an outdoor Stations of the Cross and a Rosary Walk with images for meditation. The shrine has become a favorite stop for many people traveling back and forth to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Website: www.guadalupeshrine.org

El Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico

Thousands of pilgrims make their way each year to this simple adobe church in a small village in northern New Mexico. The holy site is associated with the miraculous discovery of a crucifix in 1810 and is sometimes described as the Lourdes of North America. Visitors gather soil said to have curative powers from a spot in the floor. The walls are covered with crutches, photographs and other tokens left by those who give the shrine credit for cures.

The most popular time to visit Chimayo is during Easter week, when many people walk from Santa Fe and other surrounding towns and cities. A welcome center includes a free museum with art exhibits and displays on the shrine's history. Inside is a prayer tree covered with pieces of paper on which people have written petitions. Website: www.elsantuariodechimayo.org

Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky

Christians who admire the writings of Thomas Merton travel to this Catholic monastery in rural Kentucky. Merton entered the monastic community at the abbey in 1941 and lived here until his death in 1968. A prolific writer, Merton's works include his autobiography, 'The Seven Storey Mountain,' as well spiritual classics such as 'New Seeds of Contemplation.' Today the Trappist abbey is home to more than 40 monks, who welcome visitors for overnight retreats or day visits.

Guests may join the monks in keeping the Liturgy of the Hours (the seven prayer services held each day) and may also attend Eucharist. For added inspiration, visitors can walk the woodlands and fields that surround the abbey. In Thomas Merton's words, a monastery like this offers a place 'to entertain silence in the heart and listen for the voice of God.' Website: www.monks.org

Iona in Scotland

The early Celtic Christian traditions of the British Isles are kept alive on this windswept island off the coast of Scotland. The Irish monk Columba (also known as Columcille) founded a monastic community here in 563, and under his guidance Iona became a center for culture and learning famous throughout Europe. At its height, about 150 monks lived on Iona, some later becoming missionaries who founded monasteries in Ireland, Scotland, and northern England.

The modern revival of Iona dates to 1938, when George MacLeod founded the ecumenical Iona Community. The community maintains an active presence on Iona, leading worship services and retreat programs and spearheading the growing interest in Celtic Christianity. Just three miles long and one mile wide, the rocky island offers a landscape little changed from when Columba walked its paths, with white sandy beaches, heather moorland, rocky promontories, and dramatic views of the sea. Website: www.iona.org.uk

Martin Luther Trail in Germany

Next year will mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, an act that led to the Protestant Reformation. A variety of special events leading up to October 31, 2017, make this a good time to tour the sites connected to the famous theologian.

The Martin Luther Trail includes some of Germany's most charming medieval cities and towns, including Wittenberg, where Luther lived for much of his life. Pilgrim sites include the church where Luther posted his famous demands for reform and also his home, which now serves as the world's largest museum of Reformation history.

Another must-see is Wartburg Castle, where Luther went into hiding while he translated the New Testament into German. All people, he believed, had a right to read the divine word without ecclesiastical intermediaries. The little room where Luther worked is a reminder that a single person, working at a desk with a pen, can shake the foundations of the world. Website: www.visit-luther.com

Taizé Community in France

Taizé is an ecumenical community in France founded during WWII by Brother Roger, a native of Switzerland who came to help those whose lives were devastated by the conflict. In the 1960s the quiet life of the Taizé Community began to change as young people began coming in ever-larger numbers to this rural village near Lyon. To meet their spiritual hunger, Brother Roger developed a style of worship and singing that was suitable to pilgrims hailing from many different countries.

Today Taizé attracts young people from around the world (while pilgrims of all ages are welcomed, priority is given to youth). During the height of the summer, thousands of people participate in worship services held three times a day. Each service includes Bible passages read in multiple languages, an extended period of silence, and Taizé songs, which are easy to learn and meditative. Website: www.taize.fr/en