What is the Feed My Faith Pilgrimage?

The Feed My Faith Pilgrimage is an immersive experience created for social media content creators who are sincerely curious about Catholicism.

Led by Fr. Leo and the Plating Grace team, the pilgrimage gives participants an opportunity to encounter the Catholic faith through prayer, formation, meaningful conversations, community, sacred places, and shared meals.

Pilgrims are invited to approach the experience with an open mind, ask honest questions, share their stories, and respectfully document their faith journeys.

Who qualifies for a full scholarship?

Applicants for a full scholarship must:

• Be between 21 and 40 years old.

• Be a United States citizen or legal resident.

• Reside within the continental United States.

• Be active on social media as a content creator or regular social media user.

• Be willing to discuss and document their faith journey.

• Be non-Catholic and sincerely curious about Catholicism when the scholarship is awarded.

• Submit a two-minute application video.

Applicants may be entirely new to Catholicism, beginning to ask questions, actively exploring the Catholic faith, or participating in OCIA—the process through which adults learn about and prepare to enter the Catholic Church.

What should I include in my application video?

Please submit a video approximately two minutes long that includes:

• Your name and a brief introduction.

• Your social media handles.

• A little about your current faith journey.

• Why you are curious about Catholicism.

• Why you believe you should receive a Feed My Faith Pilgrimage scholarship.

• How you would be willing to share your experience with others.

Applicants should speak honestly and naturally. We want to meet the real person behind the profile.

What does a full scholarship cover?

A full scholarship provides an all-expense-paid pilgrimage experience, including:

• Round-trip airfare, train travel, or eligible mileage reimbursement.

• Hotel accommodations based on double occupancy.

• Tours and scheduled pilgrimage activities.

• Transportation during the pilgrimage.

• All scheduled meals.

Plating Grace will arrange and pay for the covered travel, accommodations, transportation, meals, and official pilgrimage experiences.

Personal purchases, optional activities, and other expenses not included in the official itinerary are the responsibility of the pilgrim.

What accommodations are provided?

Pilgrims receiving a full scholarship will stay at a major hotel brand in a double-occupancy room with another pilgrim of the same gender.

A pilgrim who requests a private room will be responsible for an additional $300 private-room fee, subject to availability.

All official hotel reservations will be made by Plating Grace.

How will transportation be arranged?

Depending on the pilgrim’s location and available travel options, Plating Grace will arrange round-trip airfare or train travel or reimburse eligible mileage according to the applicable IRS standard mileage rate.

Pilgrims must provide the personal information needed to make their travel reservations and must follow the approved travel arrangements.

If a pilgrim withdraws after a nonrefundable ticket has been purchased, the pilgrim may be responsible for reimbursing Plating Grace for the ticket cost, as outlined in the participant agreement.

Are meals included?

Yes. Plating Grace will provide all scheduled meals during the pilgrimage.

We can accommodate many dietary restrictions and food allergies when given sufficient notice. Pilgrims should disclose dietary needs as soon as possible during the registration process. Although reasonable efforts will be made, Plating Grace cannot guarantee that every dietary need or allergy can be accommodated in every location.

What happens if I become Catholic before the pilgrimage?

Eligibility is based on your status when the scholarship is awarded.

If you are not Catholic when you receive a full scholarship but enter the Catholic Church before the pilgrimage begins, you may still participate and retain your scholarship.

Can Catholics or returning Catholics apply?

Yes. Catholics and those returning to the Catholic faith may submit an application and may be considered for a partial scholarship.

Full scholarships are reserved for applicants who are not Catholic when the scholarship is awarded and who are sincerely curious about exploring the Catholic faith.

What is a partial scholarship?

Partial scholarships may be offered to eligible applicants who are not selected for a full scholarship but would still like to participate. They may also be available to Catholics or returning Catholics who align with the pilgrimage’s mission.

A partial scholarship covers:

• The official pilgrimage experience.

• Scheduled tours and activities.

• Transportation during the pilgrimage.

• Scheduled meals.

The recipient is responsible for:

• Transportation to and from the pilgrimage destination.

• Hotel accommodations.

Partial-scholarship recipients may stay at the official pilgrimage hotel at their own expense or independently arrange accommodations at another hotel, an Airbnb, or with family or friends.

All partial-scholarship participants must be active on social media, willing to discuss their faith journey, and committed to participating fully and respectfully in the pilgrimage.

What is expected of pilgrims?

Every pilgrim is expected to:

• Approach the experience with an open mind.

• Participate in scheduled formation, activities, conversations, and community experiences.

• Respect the personal experiences, beliefs, boundaries, and privacy of others.

• Engage sincerely in both individual and group conversations.

• Share honestly without dominating conversations or preventing others from participating.

• Be supportive of each pilgrim’s unique faith journey.

• Be willing to share their own story.

• Participate in designated Discord conversations and community opportunities.

• Follow the pilgrimage schedule and reasonable instructions from the Plating Grace team.

• Sign the required participant, confidentiality, media-release, assumption-of-risk, and indemnification documents.

• Understand that participation does not create an employment relationship or an entitlement to compensation from Plating Grace.

What are the social media expectations?

Pilgrims should be willing to document and discuss their experience before, during, and/or after the pilgrimage.

When posting about the experience, pilgrims will be asked to:

• Tag @PlatingGrace in applicable posts.

• Identify the experience as the “Feed My Faith Pilgrimage with Fr. Leo and the Plating Grace team.”

• Share their experiences honestly and respectfully.

• Protect confidential conversations and the privacy of other pilgrims.

• Follow any content, tagging, embargo, or posting guidelines provided by Plating Grace.

• Permit Plating Grace to photograph, record, and use their image, voice, likeness, interviews, and pilgrimage-related content for promotional, educational, and social media purposes, as described in the participant agreement.

Pilgrims are encouraged to share authentic experiences. They are not required to claim a belief, opinion, or religious conviction they do not sincerely hold.

Will pilgrims be paid for creating content?

No. Pilgrims should not expect compensation from Plating Grace for posts, interviews, appearances, recordings, or other content associated with their participation.

The scholarship provides the benefits specifically described for the recipient but does not establish an employment, sponsorship, or paid-content relationship.

Will I be required to become Catholic?

No. The pilgrimage is an invitation to encounter and learn about Catholicism—not a requirement to convert.

Participants are expected to remain open, respectful, and willing to experience Catholic formation and practices. Each pilgrim remains free to discern their faith journey without pressure or any required religious outcome.

Will I need to sign an agreement?

Yes. Before participating, every pilgrim must sign Plating Grace’s official participant agreement.

The agreement will address important matters such as:

• Participation requirements.

• Confidentiality and respect for others’ privacy.

• Travel and cancellation responsibilities.

• Assumption of risk and release of liability.

• Indemnification provisions.

• Photography, recording, and use of image, voice, and likeness.

• Social media and content expectations.

• Confirmation that participation is voluntary and uncompensated.

Applicants should review the agreement carefully and seek independent legal advice if they have questions before signing.

What is the spirit of the pilgrimage?

Feed My Faith is built around sincere curiosity, honest conversation, gracious hospitality, and respect for every person’s journey.

You do not need to arrive with all the answers. You simply need to be willing to ask meaningful questions, listen to others, experience the beauty of the Catholic faith, and share the journey with honesty and an open heart.