YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A profound journey of silence, compassion, and endurance is set to pass through York County this month. A group of Buddhist monks, currently in the midst of a 2,300-mile pilgrimage from Texas to Washington, D.C., is expected to walk through Rock Hill and Fort Mill between January 10 and January 20, 2026.
Known simply as the Walk for Peace, the procession is not a protest or a political march. Instead, the monks describe their mission as a spiritual effort to “awaken the peace that already lives within each of us.”
A Journey Across America
The walk began on October 26, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. Since then, the monks have been traveling on foot across the Southern United States, aiming to visit state capitols in ten states before reaching the nation’s capital.
Accompanying the monks is Aloka, a loyal “Peace Dog” who has become a beloved mascot of the journey. Aloka, a stray rescued during a previous walk in India, joins the monks for parts of the trek, riding in a support vehicle when weather or traffic conditions become unsafe.
The Route Through York County
According to current estimates and the group’s projected itinerary, the monks will enter South Carolina from Georgia, making their way into the Upstate before heading toward the Charlotte metropolitan area…