Celebrating "Kathie Cloverdale”
There are pilgrims who take a journey once in a lifetime. Then there are pilgrims like Kathie O'Keefe Hogan, whose first pilgrimage became the beginning of a remarkable tradition.
Since traveling with Fr. Zachary Navit to Italy in 2016, Kathie has now completed eleven pilgrimages with Fr. Zachary Navit from Cloverdale Travel. Along the way, she has become much more than a frequent traveler… she has become a cherished member of the Cloverdale Travel family.
During our recent Return to Italy: Villa Life & Holy Holiday at the beautiful Villa Borgo San Luigi in Tuscany, we had the joy of celebrating Kathie's incredible milestone. Fellow pilgrims surprised her with a heartfelt poem and a festive Italian pizza party in her honor. Before long, everyone agreed she had earned a fitting new nickname:
"Kathie Cloverdale"
It was an evening filled with laughter, gratitude, friendship, and the kind of joy that only comes from years of traveling, praying, and growing together in faith.
It All Began with One Pilgrimage
Kathie's pilgrimage story began in 2016 when she joined Fr. Zachary Navit on her very first journey to Italy. Looking back, she shared:
"My first pilgrimage (and first time in Europe) was with Father Navit to Italy in 2016. It was a wonderful experience. Father Navit was knowledgeable, organized, fun, and kind. I felt very comfortable traveling with him."
That first pilgrimage became the beginning of something much greater than a trip abroad—it became the start of an extraordinary journey of faith.
As Kathie has shared:
"I've gone on pilgrimages with Father Navit because I trust him and know that I will have a fantastic experience."
Eleven pilgrimages later, that trust has been rewarded with countless memories, lifelong friendships, and a growing family of fellow pilgrims.
From One Pilgrimage to Eleven
Over the past decade, Kathie has traveled with Fr. Zachary Navit from Cloverdale Travel on eleven unforgettable pilgrimages and faith-filled journeys:
Italy (2016)
Portugal, Spain & France (2017)
Holy Land (2019)
Italy (2019)
Holy Land (2022)
Ireland (2023)
Italy (2024)
Poland & Prague (2024)
Italy – Jubilee Pilgrimage (2025)
Danube River Cruise – Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary & Slovenia (2026)
Return to Italy: Villa Life & Holy Holiday – Villa Borgo San Luigi (2026)
Each journey has offered opportunities to deepen her faith, experience different cultures, visit sacred places, and create friendships that continue long after returning home.
A Celebration Worth Remembering
There could not have been a more fitting place to celebrate than the rolling hills of Tuscany.
At Villa Borgo San Luigi, fellow pilgrims gathered for a surprise celebration complete with a touching poem written especially for Kathie and an authentic Italian pizza party. It was a joyful evening of stories, laughter, applause, and heartfelt appreciation for someone who has become such an important part of the Cloverdale Travel family.
The nickname "Kathie Cloverdale" quickly became the perfect way to celebrate not only her milestone of eleven pilgrimages but also the warmth, kindness, enthusiasm, and joyful spirit she brings to every journey.
Here is the poem that was read during the celebration about Kathie.
“Kathie Cloverdale”
Kathie boarded buses, trains, and planes
With rosaries tucked beside carry-ons and canes,
Eleven pilgrimages with Father Zachary in tow,
Though officially ten was the plan, or so they thought to know.
For the great Italian Villa celebration was ready with delight,
A toast, a speech, perhaps limoncello that night,
But Kathie, ever sneaky, smiled with cruise-ship grace,
And slipped a Danube pilgrimage right into the race.
From the canonization of Mother Teresa in Italy long ago,
To Amalfi cliffs where lemon breezes blow,
She wandered faithfully, suitcase always packed,
With a coffee pot, Tito’s stash, and common sense intact.
No hotel coffee would ever pass inspection,
Kathie came prepared with caffeinated perfection.
At dawn the room smelled stronger than Rome’s espresso bars,
While Tito’s quietly waited for the evening stars.
And when cocktails appeared before dinner’s call,
“They’re staff meetings,” she’d announce to all.
But one drink rose above the rest with glamorous delight,
A cosmopolitan held proudly every night.
Soon pilgrims everywhere came to know exactly what to say
When Kathie walked toward the bar at end of day:
“Make it a Cosmo for Kathie!” became the traveler’s rally,
And somehow “Cosmo Kathie” spread through Cloverdale Valley.
At the bar, friendships formed with laughter deep and wide,
Because nobody stayed a stranger by Kathie’s side.
She traveled mostly solo, fearless and free,
Though sometimes Sharon joined the revelry.
And once with Fran, retired cop and husband true,
Through Ireland’s green hills and skies of Celtic blue.
In Ireland, as pilgrims laughed and sang through rain and gale,
Kathie adopted Neil somewhere along the trail.
No paperwork required, no questions to pursue,
One conversation later and suddenly he was family too.
There was Giorgio once, beloved guide supreme,
Who narrated Italy like a Renaissance dream.
But then came Fulvio with stories rich and sly,
And somehow Giorgio’s crown passed quietly by.
Yet in the Holy Land, one guide stood above the rest:
Shafik, whom Kathie loved best.
Twice she journeyed where Christ had walked the land,
Finally floating the Dead Sea just as planned.
For years the tiki bar had kept her near its shade,
While others floated where ancient prophets prayed.
But the second trip changed history forever to behold,
As Kathie posed for the famous brochure shot, brave and bold.
Nurse by profession, pilgrim by heart,
Diagnosing ailments became an unofficial part.
A cough on the bus? A twisted ankle in Rome?
Kathie somehow made every foreign place feel home.
And once with Father Zachary’s mother, in a hospital scene bizarre,
They somehow stumbled into a crime scene — taking caregiving a bit too far.
Most pilgrims collect souvenirs or postcards by the score,
Kathie collected stories nobody could ignore.
In Trastevere’s winding streets by Roman evening light,
Dinner at Ivo a Trastevere became tradition every night.
Cacio e pepe steaming, wine glasses raised on high,
As stories grew taller beneath the Roman sky.
She bought pottery faithfully from Orvieto each year without fail,
And limoncello from Amalfi by the pail.
Shipped across oceans with miraculous care,
Never a broken piece arriving anywhere.
Good traveler. Loyal friend. Adventure always near.
The kind who makes the timid pilgrims persevere.
And when complaints arose on roads rugged or rough,
Kathie’s advice was simple: “Suck it up, buttercup.”
The early years belonged to another pilgrimage name,
But Cloverdale Travel changed the game.
Now one title fits her perfectly and happily:
Not just Kathie Hogan — but Cloverdale Kathie.
So here’s to eleven journeys and countless miles yet to roam,
To buses filled with laughter that somehow felt like home.
To coffee pots, Tito’s, cosmos, saints, and seas so blue,
And pilgrimages made unforgettable because they were shared with you.
More Than a Traveler
When Kathie reflects on why she continues returning on pilgrimage, her words beautifully capture the heart of what Cloverdale Travel is all about:
"The fellow pilgrims have all been wonderful, and I have made many good friends through my travels."
Those friendships are among the greatest blessings of pilgrimage.
While we travel to encounter holy places, rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable experiences, it is often the people we meet along the way who leave the deepest impression. Pilgrimages have a unique way of bringing people together through prayer, shared meals, laughter, and countless moments that become treasured memories.
Kathie's journey reminds us that every pilgrimage is an invitation to grow closer to God while building a community that feels like family.
Congratulations, Kathie Cloverdale!
Congratulations, Kathie, on eleven remarkable pilgrimages with Fr. Zachary Navit from Cloverdale Travel.
Thank you for sharing your faith, your joyful spirit, your friendship, and your adventurous heart with so many fellow pilgrims over the years. You have welcomed new travelers, encouraged old friends, and helped make every pilgrimage a little brighter.
Here's to many more adventures, more prayers shared along the way, more laughter around the dinner table, and many more unforgettable moments together.
Congratulations, Kathie Cloverdale!