A pilgrimage is “the simultaneous movement of the feet and the soul”—a journey made both externally and internally. The pilgrim travels to a location of spiritual significance, stepping outside of themselves in order to encounter God in places where he has revealed himself. This action mirrors the interior journey of the pilgrim, who uses this experience to draw closer to Our Lord and seek him more intentionally.
The value of a pilgrimage is not in the distance traveled but in the disposition of our own hearts and the zeal with which we seek God. Many saints have had life-changing experiences while on pilgrimage, and the practice has been a part of Christianity from the beginning.
Jesus doesn’t want us to walk alone. At the Incarnation, Christ entered directly into our human experience, allowing him to accompany us through life in a more intimate way. But physically walking with Jesus is not a privilege restricted to Christians from the first century!
When Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist, he gave us a new way to walk alongside him. Catholicism now has a vibrant history of Eucharistic processions! In this tradition, the Eucharist is carried through the streets, accompanied by the faithful. We walk publicly with Our Lord so that others may encounter him personally, just as they did 2,000 years ago.
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is a truly unique initiative. This is something NEW—a beautiful fusion of the journey TO Jesus and the journey WITH Jesus. What’s more, it is an adventure that all Catholics can do together, either by interior disposition or physical accompaniment.
This is the birth of something remarkable. Join us as we accompany Jesus in the Eucharist from the north, south, east, and west edges of our country, stopping at many holy sites and churches along the way. Together we will journey with Christ on his way to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, where he comes to encounter his people anew.
