HUNTLEY—On the morning of Palm Sunday, March 29, around 20 hikers gathered at a dirt trailhead.
On the day that recalled Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to enact His saving work, the group prepared to enter not the Holy City, but the sunlit forest of Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake.
Yet in nature, God is just as present as He is in the grandest cathedral, suggests Matt Zamudio, leader and founder of St. Frassati Outdoors.
St. Frassati Outdoors (SFO) is a new Catholic ministry based out of St. Mary Parish, Huntley. The ministry takes its name from recently-canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925). The young outdoorsman would often take his close friends on mountain-climbing trips, praying and talking about faith on the way up and down. He deeply loved Jesus in the Eucharist, the Holy Mass and the Blessed Mother.
Now, SFO hopes to walk — or run, or climb, or snowshoe — in his footsteps.
Finding the Creator in creation
“For me, and I think for most, it’s essentially impossible not to experience God in nature,” Zamudio explained in a note to The Observer. “We know all things were created by the Lover of Mankind for mankind,”
he continued.
Creation offers a clear look at the Father. Outside of the “chaos” of daily life, Zamudio said, “in nature I get a tangible glimpse of His Word and logic in the patterns of a leaf, the color of a flower, the song of a bird.”
Zamudio said that in the outdoors, “whether it’s a bike ride, a hike, a swim, or some other outdoor activity with friends or alone, I’ve felt a deep and meaningful connection, and that can only be from God.”
He started SFO out of a desire for that connection.
An outdoors group might seem “a little unconventional” he acknowledges, compared to a Bible study or rosary group. But “in Christ, every aspect of our lives is sanctified,” he said. “I’d love to see more Catholics just being together and doing things and sharing conversation in an easy, natural way. This is as holy as anything, in my opinion.”
“I think our path to heaven lies in our connections,” he said. Christian community, he believes, can heal modern isolation. And when that community is active — physically, socially, and spiritually — it helps its members in body, mind and soul.
Walking the talk
So what does SFO look like?
Rather ordinary, it turns out. It’s relaxed and down-to earth.
On the Palm Sunday hike, the group set out after a simple prayer. Within half an hour of hiking, both conversation and quiet came comfortably.
Walkers swapped stories of favorite parks to explore in their hometowns. Birdwatchers chatted about spring migration. One Huntley parishioner talked about taking two pilgrimages to Poland and seeing sites from Pope St. John Paul II’s childhood.
The group’s different backgrounds and ages didn’t hinder community, but helped it. Most parishioners came from the McHenry Deanery, including St. Mary, Huntley; St. Mary, Woodstock; and St. Charles Borromeo,
Hampshire.
Many hikers were young adults, whether single or married, but some adults were older, and several couples came with their young families.
The children eagerly shared their experiences of nature (visiting a butterfly exhibit, seeing a tarantula in the desert!) and the other hikers encouraged their curiosity with animal facts and past stories of their own. The walk felt like a big family hike.
Everyone got to share the surprise and delight of several wildlife sightings: three early-spring butterflies, two common garter snakes (a first for one of the children), a heron in flight and five deer resting close by.
Whenever one person made a discovery, the call came quickly: “Come! Look!” As if by instinct, the group shared their awe of nature.
Zamudio says, “This instinct is good: for what is a love of nature if not a love of God?”
How can I join SFO?
“There is no official membership,” says Zamudio. “Just show up to one of our planned outings and enjoy.”
Plans go out through Substack posts which share dates, locations, and the physical demands of each outing. Readers can view these at frassatioutdoors.substack.com and can subscribe to emails.
Potential SFO outings include trail bike rides, sports, outdoor Mass, kayaking, rock climbing, invasive species removal and many more. If you feel an event is a good fit, you’re invited!
“I hope we can help sanctify each other through good conversation, group prayer, shared challenges, and communal recognition of the beauty of our time and place in the world,” Zamudio says.
Let us “give each other the strength to run the race.”
