Geoff Lee’s Pilgrimage of Service

Each year, millions make a pilgrimage to Lourdes in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, the sacred site where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. This April, as he has for the past fifteen years, Geoff Lee, Director of Channel Partnerships, was among them.

But Geoff did not make the journey alone.

As a team leader within the Western Association of the Order of Malta, Geoff accompanied a large group of severely ill guests on this holy and transformative pilgrimage. Affectionately referred to as “Malades,” the French term for a person with an illness, these individuals make the journey to Lourdes to find healing, connection, and peace.

A Calling Born from Personal Experience

Geoff’s journey with the Order of Malta began almost twenty years ago when his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. While learning more about the resources available to her, Geoff was drawn to the organization’s life-changing mission and the opportunity to support individuals during pivotal moments in their lives.

“It’s really a journey of treating somebody not like a patient, not with pity, but with dignity and honor… and like a person,” Geoff reflects. “It’s an absolute privilege to have this opportunity, and I’ve embraced it so much that I am driven to participate every year… The experience has changed me dramatically and it also resets me every time I come back.”

Lessons in What Matters Most

For Geoff and many volunteers who embark on the pilgrimage each year, the experience is more than literally or figuratively walking in someone else’s shoes. The pilgrimage teaches what’s truly important in life.

It reminds those who embark on the journey that what really matters isn’t the frustration in a workplace or the daily commute to work, it’s simply the gift of life and our ability to connect person to person.

“It’s really those moments where you least expect it that stay with you and remind you of why you’re there,” Geoff shared as he recalled a touching experience during a dinner towards the end of a pilgrimage.

At this dinner, a young mother with two daughters at home shared that, because of her experience on the trip, she found the ability to call her daughters and share that she had made peace with her diagnosis and that she was ready for the challenging days ahead.

“I only hope that someday, when my time comes, that I’m that brave and dignified as so many that I’ve served have shown me over the years,” Geoff says.

The Power of Human Connection

A gifted storyteller and relationship-builder, Geoff has the ability to build connections with the Malades throughout the various stages of the seven-day pilgrimage. Often during the pilgrimage, the domain will host a candlelight processional where thousands of flickering candles illuminate the pathways through the entire village. During one of the processionals, Geoff assisted a young man in a cart struggling emotionally throughout the evening. The wind had extinguished the young man’s candle.

Hoping to lift his spirits, Geoff shared a childhood story about how 10-year-old Geoff would accidentally set the same paper illustration of Mary on fire while trying to shield his candle from the wind. To his mother’s disapproval, a young Geoff proudly called it a “Flaming Mary.”

As Geoff relit the young man’s candle and continued through the procession, he noticed a warm glow behind him. Turning around, he saw the young man smiling beside his own proudly blazing “Flaming Mary.”

“You never know what little things that happen between people will be remembered. Here I thought I went overboard sharing my childhood experience, little did I know I provided him a little temporary relief from what he was going through,” Geoff explained.

Bringing the Experience Home

Returning from a transformative journey like the pilgrimage offers a fresh perspective. It becomes easier to recognize that very little changes whether we arrive five minutes earlier or move a little faster through our day.

“Stop. Pause for a moment,” Geoff says. “When traveling, nothing is going to change if I get in my seat five minutes later. Why don’t you focus on the stranger ahead of you who may be struggling and just be there for them?”

Living the “We Care” Mission

The spirit of service resonates through many team members at LocateSmarter. The company culture allows for employees like Geoff to explore passions outside of our professional work.

“It’s one thing to say you care but to put it into practice [is different]. It can absolutely be sensed, and it resonates within the organization,” shared Geoff.

Whether serving the sick and poor or ensuring every client interaction is handled with compassion and respect, the team at LocateSmarter strives to live out its “We Care” mission each day.

There is always a need within the Order of Malta for people looking to do good in our world.

“What I love about us is that it’s not always about writing a check,” Geoff says. “If you want to be hands-on even at a local level, we’re carrying on a mission to help the poor and sick.”

To learn more about how you may play a part, visit orderofmaltawestern.us.

“We Care” is LocateSmarter’s mission and promise to serve our community. This guiding principle shapes every client interaction and extends into the daily lives of our team members. The We Care Blog Series highlights the many ways this principle comes to life through our people.