Robert Ward is the author of "Virgin Trails: A Secular Pilgrimage," an agnostic's guide to the worship of the Virgin Mary. His writing has appeared in newspapers and journels including the Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, andQueen's Quarterly. He has lived in Japan, traveled widely in Europe and Asia, and can muddle along in several languages. When he isn't on pilgrimage, he lives quietly in Toronto with his wife, Michiko.