General Assistance
The pilgrimage is a journey of prayer, mortification and detachment, but hardly deprivation.
There are nine Divisions of the pilgrimage organization to assist pilgrims– from brigades to choirs, chaplains to altar servers, first-aid to cooks, drivers to ‘water lilies’, and so on.
For two decades of charity in imitation of their blessed Patron, the pilgrim-servants of the Company of St. René Goupîl (CSRG), for example, have assisted weary, thirsty, hungry and foot-sore pilgrims every step of the way.
CSRGers keep pilgrims supplied with water throughout. In the morning, they provide hot water, bread, jam, and fruits to supplement pilgrims’ breakfast food. In the evenings, they provide hearty soups.
The Company also transports pilgrims’ luggage & gear from camp to camp each day.
In addition, the Company follows the walking brigades in vans, transporting those who can no longer walk or (in rare emergency) conveying the sick to hospital. They also provide basic first-aid along the way, at rest stops, and in camp mornings and evenings.
Those pilgrims who cannot meet the physical demands may ride in the vans until refreshed, or may join the “modified pilgrimage”, spending more time in the camps praying, confessing and receiving spiritual counsel from chaplains there.
Shuttle Service
Pilgrims arriving via public transportation* and all those needing to recover their vehicles at the end of Sunday’s events must request (in advance) the shuttle service offered (in 2025) on Thursday, September 25 — the day before step-off.
With your request & confirmed itinerary in hand, CSRG volunteers will shuttle you to the check-in point (required) or – if you choose not to overnight at Wood Park – to other accommodations in Lake George Village. The shuttles pick-up and transport pilgrims from their public transportation terminals*, or — for those driving their own vehicles — from the designated parking lot directly behind the Coliseum Church in Auriesville.
* e.g., Albany Internat’l Airport or the downtown Albany train or bus terminals
Pilgrims may request the shuttle service only after registering.
Click here to request the shuttle
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Finalizing your itinerary
Before finalizing public transportation (PT) reservations, pilgrims traveling via PT must confirm with the CSRGer in charge of shuttling to make sure Company volunteers can meet PT arrival- and departure-times.
Additional answers to frequently asked questions about transportation etc. can be found in the online FAQs.