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The culmination of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage culmination Mass National Eucharistic Pilgrimage culmination Mass
Photo by Father Patrick Briscoe

It is finished. The cross is the end, the culmination of Our Blessed Lord’s work of redemption. We sign ourselves with the cross to begin our every prayer. And our every work is brought to completion in it. It can become routine, a reflexive gesture. And in Indianapolis, at the Mass concluding the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the sign of the cross at the end of Mass seemed like any other. Except it wasn’t. The end of this Mass was momentous. And because of it, everything had changed.

A small crowd gathered outside St. John the Evangelist to welcome the pilgrims from the four pilgrimage routes. Setting out from parishes across the city, the arrival of the different pilgrimage routes was staggered throughout the morning. Walking down Capitol Ave, the crowds cheered and joined in singing as the pilgrims drew near. It was joyful, reverent and deeply moving.

Before entering the church, whose twin belfries stand opposite the Indiana Convention Center, the priest bearing the Blessed Sacrament paused on the top steps of the gothic entry. With the pilgrims and crowd kneeling, Benediction was solemnly delivered. A first time. A second time. A third time. A fourth, and final, time.

Pilgrims and worshippers kneel before Jesus in the monstrance after arriving for a Mass to welcome pilgrims at St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis July 16, 2024, just ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

With each Benediction, the pilgrims of the respective routes entered the sprawling gothic church for a moment of prayer. With each Benediction, the crowd outside the church grew.

The pilgrimage routes formed the sign of the cross. It was a grand Benediction, covering our nation in prayer. From its inception, the National Eucharistic Revival was conceived as an invitation to prayer. It was a clarion call for the renewal of the spiritual life, sounding the alarm to marshall the powers of heaven.

We want reunion

In the wake of this weekend’s tumultuous events — including the horrific attempted assassination of former President Trump — the closing Mass was a welcome salve. For the first time in days, I was able to step beyond the clamor and see a glimpse of the things to come.

In the sacristy before Mass, I witnessed the joyful reunion of pilgrims. A group of young people united by a common purpose. Seeing them come together was deeply moving. Happy cries, running hugs and tears were the signs of friends brought together once more. Flung to the four corners of the nation, this group of one heart and one mind, conveyed.

Heaven will be like that. A gathering of those who have been separated, running together, overjoyed to be near. Loved ones reunited. Friends, once lost, will be found.

So often in life we feel alienated. Relationships and friendships, once strong, have been wounded or broken. In our country, we feel frustrated, wanting our politics renewed to see our country flourish. We want reunion. To be made one.

Shayla Elm, a perpetual pilgrim with the Juan Diego Route (center looking up), prays alongside others from her group while attending a Mass to welcome pilgrims at St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis July 16, 2024, just ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

I remember hearing the pilgrimage proposed at the retreat held in Chicago for National Eucharistic Preachers. Many excited discussions were circulating about how and if such a thing could be pulled off. I was thrilled when the pilgrimage was announced, and I’ve been blessed to participate in many locations, meeting the pilgrims in various locations throughout their journey.

I’ve had more than a few reunions in my life. As a religious, my work takes me near and far. It was marvelous to see these inspiring friends, the pilgrims and other National Eucharistic Preachers. Something wonderful had been done for the Lord and for our Church. We knew it. The packed church, marked by boisterous singing and enthusiastic participation, knew it. And I have no doubt the saints and angels in heaven above knew it too.

It was a blessing unlike any other. Our nation, consecrated anew by this monumental effort, will know it, too.