Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes meet in Indy with Christ leading the way
The Marian (north) Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ends its two-month journey as the Blessed Sacrament is processed toward St. John the Evangelist Church for Mass, uniting with pilgrims of the other three routes. Several of the perpetual pilgrims on this route removed their shoes to walk the last half-mile of the procession barefoot. (Photo by Natalie Hoefer)
By Natalie Hoefer
They began on May 18-19, the weekend of the feast of Pentecost.
From the far reaches of the country they departed: San Francisco, Calif.; Brownsville, Texas.; New Haven, Conn., and the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca, Minn.
The mission: to bring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament to as many people in the nation as possible.
Two months, 551 stops in 65 dioceses and more than 6,500 miles later—with more than 100,000 participants along the way—the four routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage converged in Indianapolis on July 16, one day before the start of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress on July 17-21, the first such gathering in 83 years. (See our ongoing coverage of the National Eucharistic Congress at www.archindy.org/congress.)
Hundreds lined the street outside of St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis on July 16 watching the four pilgrimage processions prior to a Mass with Archbishop Charles C. Thompson as the principal celebrant.
‘Called to be pilgrim people of God’
“A great deal of time and effort has gone into the four eucharistic pilgrimages arriving today from the four directional borders of the United States,” Archbishop Thompson noted in his homily.
“Along the way there have been opportunities for the celebration of Mass, eucharistic adoration, meditation on Scripture, liturgical or sacramental occasions, various popular devotions and witness of service.
“No doubt, the hardships of pilgrimage have been experienced along the way as well.”
But in each of the highs and lows lie the components for change that draw the heart closer to Christ, he noted.
The national pilgrimage served as a transition into the final of the three years of National Eucharistic Revival, launched by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June of 2022.
“Along the path of each pilgrimage trail, the four pillars of the National Eucharistic Revival have been enshrined by the witness of those participating along the way,” the archbishop said, identifying the pillars as personal encounter with Jesus Christ, reinvigorating devotion, deepening formation and missionary sending.
“At the core of these four pillars is our firm belief in the truth, goodness and beauty of the real presence of Jesus Christ—body and blood, soul and divinity—in the most holy Eucharist,” Archbishop Thompson said.
He quoted words said by Pope Francis on the solemnity of Corpus Christi this year:
“The Eucharist is God’s response to the deepest desire of the human heart: the hunger for authentic life. In the Eucharist, Christ himself is truly in our midst, to nourish, console and sustain us on our journey.”
Archbishop Thompson closed his homily with an eye toward the National Eucharistic Congress, where tens of thousand would gather “to accompany, celebrate, discern, encounter, pray and proclaim what it means to be Church, to be Catholic in the 21st century.
“We are called to be pilgrim people of God, missionary disciples of Jesus, the body of Christ.”
‘This is just the beginning’
Numerous priests and several bishops, including Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, process into St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis on July 16 for a Mass celebrating the arrival of the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes at the church. (Photo by Natalie Hoefer)
Concelebrating the Mass with Archbishop Thompson was Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc.
Under a clear sky on a mild day of what had been a hot and humid week, he stood outside of St. John before the Mass and took in the crowd.
“It’s been really beautiful to receive the pilgrims here and to think of all the lives that were touched across the country,” he said. “How many times people experienced the Lord in Benediction and adoration and at Mass, and really the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve been touched.
“And to see these heroic young people who walked all the way across the country to arrive here in Indianapolis, such a great preparation for this event. It feels like we could go home today, it would all have been worth it, but actually this is just the beginning.”
Before the Mass, the “heroic young people”—the perpetual pilgrims—gathered for a reunion in St. John’s courtyard. Smiles, tears and hugs were abundant as those on the four routes reunited for the first time in months.
The church was filled to capacity for the Mass. Numerous priests concelebrating the Mass sat in the front pews. Wearing colored shirts to identify the route they accompanied, the perpetual pilgrims sat behind numerous concelebrating priests.
Among the congregation were two members of the archdiocese who participated in the local—and not so local—national pilgrimages.
St. John parishioner Cathy Flood walked with the St. Junipero Serra (west) Route while visiting her family in Lincoln, Neb.
The visit “just happened to coincide with the pilgrims coming through,” she said. “I was able to join them at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, which is where my husband and I got married in 1989, so that was very special.
“The procession, the Mass the next day—everything was just so reverent and so beautiful.”
Flood, who also took part in national pilgrimage events in the archdiocese on July 14 and 15, said seeing the four pilgrimage routes united for Mass at St. John was overwhelming.
“I’m in my happy place, with all these beautiful people from all over,” she said with a broad smile. “One of the first things that struck me as I walked up [to the church] was all of the sisters with their beautiful habits, sisters from all over. And it’s just such a beautiful sight.”
‘The Holy Spirit will come in a big way’
On the other side of the church sat Mike DeChant, a member of St. Malachy Parish in Brownsburg. He participated in processions between four Indianapolis churches on July 15-16.
“Jesus Christ led me to do it,” he said of his motivation to participate.
DeChant witnessed something unusual on the route prior to arriving at St. John.
“Some of the perpetual pilgrims took off their shoes about a half-mile before we got here and walked barefoot the rest of the way,” he said, clearly touched by the gesture.
While he is not attending the Congress, he noted the providential timing of it happening concurrently with the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race and festivities on July 19-21.
“On Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles,” said DeChant. “Well, there’s going to be a big gathering here with the race, and they’ll encounter Christ with so many here for the Congress. The Holy Spirit is going to come down in a big way.” †
