US Catholics begin pilgrimages to Eucharistic congress

Four pilgrimages began in the US in preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in late July. The four routes converge at the congress after weeks promoting Eucharistic adoration.

The “Marian route” started at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota, with 2,000 people joining it there.  A similar number gathered for the start of the “St Elizabeth Ann Seton route” at the Church of St Mary, in New Haven, Connecticut, where the newly-installed Archbishop of Hartford Christopher Coyne led a Mass to begin the pilgrimage. The church houses the tomb of Bl Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, launched the “St Juan Diego route” in his diocese along the Mexican border, while in California, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco carried a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament in procession across the Golden Gate Bridge, marking the start of the “St Junipero Serra route”.

Plans for a Eucharistic congress emerged from debates in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) over the admission or denial of politicians to communion over their support for abortion rights, which became particularly pronounced on the election of President Joe Biden in late 2020. 

The president of the USCCB at the time, Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, set up a committee to examine the matter but the heated response from other bishops and opposition from the Vatican caused Gomez to back away from the subject. Promoting a Eucharistic revival, culminating in a congress, provided an “off ramp” from that bitter debate.

Proponents of the revival have also cited survey data indicating that many Catholics were unclear about the nature of the Eucharist, although critics of that study pointed out the questions were confusingly worded.

Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as his legate to the congress. Tagle, a former Archbishop of Manila, is the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation’s Section for First Evangelisation and New Particular Churches. He studied in the US, earning a doctorate in ecclesiology from the Catholic University of America.

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