Marist Students Journey With Refugees in May Pilgrimage

In an effort to raise awareness about the journey that refugees and migrants undertake and to exhibit a public show of solidarity with them, nearly 60 participants made the five-mile pilgrimage from St. Thomas More Church, Decatur, along East Ponce de Leon Avenue to Refuge Coffee in Clarkston on May 18, 2019.

Marist Share the Journey Pilgrimage
Nearly 60 participants prayed at St. Thomas More Church, Decatur, before embarking on a five-mile pilgrimage to Refuge Coffee in Clarkston. The purpose of the May 18 walk was to raise awareness about the journey refugees and migrants undertake and to exhibit a public sign of solidarity with them. Photo By Michael Alexander
Marist Share the Journey Pilgrimage
Nearly 60 participants make the five-mile pilgrimage from St. Thomas More Church, Decatur, down East Ponce de Leon Avenue to Refuge Coffee in Clarkston. The purpose of the May 18 walk was to raise awareness about the journey refugees and migrants undertake and to exhibit a public sign of solidarity with them. Photo By Michael Alexander
Marist Share the Journey Pilgrimage
Marist School sophomore Sara Jane Shulman holds the megaphone as her classmate, Abby Testani, as she reads a poem she wrote and titled "Clemantine." The poem pays homage to Clemantine Wamariya, a refugee from Rwanda who wrote about her experience of war, family separation, refugee camps and more in a 2018 memoir entitled “The Girl Who Smiled Beads.” Photo By Michael Alexander
Marist Share the Journey Pilgrimage
The walkers cross East Ponce de Leon Avenue at the intersection of Dekalb Industrial Way, as they make their way to the Dekalb Farmers Market, the second mile of their five-mile journey. Photo By Michael Alexander

Marist Share the Journey Pilgrimage
After the walk from Decatur to Clarkston, the participants eat and fellowship on the premises of Refuge Coffee. Photo By Michael Alexander