The Western Pilgrimage
Education & Exploration in the American West
.The Western Pilgrimage is a semester-long experience created by Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and Altum L’alto Pilgrimages (ALP). The semester is open to male students not currently enrolled at a Catholic “Great Books” college. Students will complete 15 academic credit hours (in five classes) as they explore the western states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The final destination is El Santuario de Chimayo, also known as the Lourdes of America. Students will be guided by traveling faculty and staff for the entire trip and visited by other faculty.
Academic Credit Hours
National Parks
States
ITINERARY
The semester travels from north to south, beginning in the Northern Rockies and ending in the Sangre de Christo Mountains of the Southwest. The itinerary consists of several sections where we will stop for education and exploration before moving to the next section.
Montana
Wyoming
Colorado
Utah
Arizona
New Mexico
ADVENTURE
Students will have daily, weekend, and extended-weekend adventures as well as a week-long “fall break” opportunity. Adventure activities will include hiking, biking, paddling, rock-climbing, horseback riding, and sandboarding!
ACADEMIC COURSES
Students will take a full academic semester of courses. They will have the possibility to transfer the 15 academic credit hours received upon successful completion of the semester to their home colleges or universities. All courses can be taken at the 200 or 300 level
1. SCIENCE 200/300: Nature’s Cathedral
Natural history of the American West
2. LITERATURE 200/300: No Mere Worldly Success
The literature of adventure and survival
3. LEADERSHIP 200/300: The Strenuous Life
The principles and skills of leadership and community
4. PHILOSOPHY 200/300: The Examined Life
The principles of ethics and discernment
5. THEOLOGY 200/300: The Spiritual Life
The principles of prayer and contemplation
DATES
september 9 - November 23, 2024
Sign-up Deadline: March 15, 2024 I Late applicants accepted!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit the St. Thomas More College website for more information and to apply
Free-Range
Students are not confined to a classroom–the American West is their classroom!
Unfiltered
Academics are based on original texts and discussions are always aimed to the knowledge of truth
Raw
Encounter God in prayer, silence, and the liturgy
100% Natural
Explore a variety of landscapes in the West: mountains, rivers, canyons, deserts, and more
Cage-Free
No laptops and limited use of smartphones
Nothing Artificial Added
Enjoy a semester of getting back to the basics
The Leaders
