The four routes begin with kickoff events during the weekend of Pentecost, which is May 17–May 19, 2024. Each route will walk with Jesus across the country for approximately two months. All four groups will meet in Indianapolis on July 16 to attend the National Eucharistic Congress from July 17–July 21, 2024.
In addition to signing up for route-specific schedule updates, we recommend reaching out to the chancery of your specific diocese to find out the schedule of events that will be taking place in your diocese.
Jesus will be exposed for the majority of the Eucharistic Pilgrimage. For the long stretches that we are walking, a priest chaplain will carry Jesus in the monstrance. However, due to distance and weather considerations, there will be stretches that our team will need to drive, during which Jesus will be placed in a traveling tabernacle.
Lumen gentium proclaims that “we are a pilgrim people,” making it clear that pilgrimage is an integral part of the Christian life. This is true whether or not you have the means to travel abroad. Thomas Merton said, “The geographic pilgrimage is the symbolic acting out of an inner journey… One can have the one without the other. It is best to have both.”
Mirroring the inner journey with a geographical one—often to sites associated with saints and martyrs—is an ancient tradition that bears much fruit in the life of the pilgrim. Every church, shrine, and Mass is worthy of pilgrimage.
While the Holy Land is a popular destination for pilgrims, not every pilgrimage needs to involve an exotic location! The Stations of the Cross are an example of how pilgrimages have been made locally for hundreds of years, allowing pilgrims to walk the Way of the Cross without making the distant journey to Jerusalem. There are plenty of holy places on our own soil worthy of pilgrimage—no plane ticket required.
There are many holy sites in the U.S. that are very popular pilgrimage destinations. Here is a list of over 100 you can explore, broken down by state. There are even more not listed! Contact your diocese to find out about holy places you may not have known were in your own backyard.
Visit this page to learn more about this unique initiative.
The key to a Eucharistic pilgrimage is to “unite our intention to the one true sacrifice of Christ” (Bishop Andrew Cozzens). Resources are available to help you make your own self-led Eucharistic pilgrimage in anticipation of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the summer of 2024. If you live far from the main routes, you can also plan your own pilgrimage as a part of this national initiative. Click here to find out more about making your own Eucharistic pilgrimage.
No. Only the Perpetual Pilgrims and their chaplains will travel the full routes. You are welcome to walk with us for one of the short, public-facing segments of the journey as a part of the Eucharistic Caravan or join us for an event along the way. For safety reasons, only those segments that can be registered for are open to the public. You must fill out a safety waiver before joining the Pilgrimage, and participation is free. See the map on our homepage to see where Jesus will pass closest to you!
There are a few ways you can participate in this historic initiative:
Individuals are encouraged to make their own self-led pilgrimages in the Year of Parish Revival, physically reflecting our national journey of Revival as well as their own inner journey of renewal.
If you live near one of the main routes (Marian, Seton, Juan Diego, or Serra), come out to meet Jesus as he passes by! Everyone is invited to celebrate Mass, participate in evening events, and register to walk with the Eucharistic Caravan for a segment of the route.
You can also open your home to the Perpetual Pilgrims and their chaplains, providing them with a place to rest for the night. Above all, we ask you to pray for the success of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and all those who will encounter Our Lord in this new way.
Register to host an event along the route. This can include Mass, Eucharistic processions, 40 Hour Devotions, Eucharistic holy hours, and other devotions centered around the Blessed Sacrament.
If your parish is not a registered host, organize a group of parishioners to meet up with the Pilgrimage for Mass or other event. Everyone is welcome to walk for a segment of the route as a part of the Eucharistic Caravan.
Another great way to support the Pilgrimage is to sponsor a meal or snacks for Perpetual Pilgrims, or even to host these full-time travelers and their chaplains overnight.
Please consider sponsoring meals or snacks for the Perpetual Pilgrims and their chaplains, who rely on the generosity of their brothers and sisters along this massive expedition. Your group is also invited to join us for Mass or an event, or to walk for a segment of the route as a part of the Eucharistic Caravan.
Be prepared with sunscreen, sunglasses, one water bottle, and a raincoat, because the Pilgrimage will continue rain or shine! Exceptions will be made in cases of inclement weather that poses a threat to safety, determined by Pilgrimage leaders.
Please note: Walking long distances can be physically challenging. Bathroom access will be limited. Please prepare accordingly.
May through early July are the warmest months of the year with an average daily high temperature of 98°F. Please wear appropriate clothing (e.g. sneakers/comfortable shoes, light clothing, etc.) and bring sunscreen and water. Rain is always possible. It’s always a good idea to carry a light rain jacket just in case.
A group of young adult Catholics from across the United States have been selected from a pool of applicants to be Perpetual Pilgrims. These young adults will be joined by seminarians and ordained chaplains on every route.
No. While the Perpetual Pilgrims will travel on foot for the majority of the route, there are going to be days that our team will need to drive for stretches of the route due to distance and weather conditions.
Yes. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage team will spend time in formation with the Perpetual Pilgrims over the course of several months. Most of the meetings will be on Zoom, but there is the possibility of an in-person gathering as well.
No, there is no cost to the Perpetual Pilgrims to participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
Biblical hospitality is not a chocolate on the pillow at a hotel, a nice wine list at a restaurant, or a cozy dinner with close friends. Some prominent Catholic theologians explain it well:
Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote that it is the obligation of all Christians “to offer an open and hospitable space where strangers can cast off their strangeness and become our fellow human beings.” He says, “That is our vocation: to convert the hostis into a hospes, the enemy into a guest and to create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.” It was his firm belief that “if there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality. It is one of the richest biblical terms that can deepen and broaden our insight in our relationships to our fellow human beings.”
Catholic theologian Rosemary Haughton writes, “Hospitality means a letting go of certainty and control—and paradoxically it’s only this letting go that allows the richness of growth and change that makes real and not pretended continuity possible.”
We are developing a hospitality network in connection with the dioceses and parishes along each route to coordinate pilgrim stays with families, religious orders, universities, parishes, and other vetted institutions.
Contact hello@eucharisticpilgrimage.org to inquire about hosting. You must complete a background check and safe environment training in order to be eligible to host.
Safety is a top priority for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage team. The Perpetual Pilgrims will all go through safe environment training and comprehensive background checks. All adults that reside in host homes will also need to complete both their diocesan safe environment training and a background check.
If you see something, say something! If you experience odd behavior or see something you know shouldn’t be there, say something. Please report suspicious behavior to any Pilgrimage Leader.
We are contacting local authorities in each area to let them know our route and ask for their recommendation of safety procedures.
Our support vehicle will be flashing lights to alert cars to our group’s presence. We are looking into purchasing safety vests for the leaders in our group. If it is necessary to cross an interstate or a busy road, the Perpetual Pilgrims will ride in their support vehicle. Additional participants will need to secure their own transportation.
Every group of Perpetual Pilgrims will carry a list of nearby hospitals and urgent care centers for each week. Individuals attending will be responsible for monitoring and attending to health situations in their own family, parish, youth group or other organization.
All pilgrims joining for the public walking segments will need to sign a medical waiver that will be available on our digital registration platform prior to walking with us.
Individuals and groups will be responsible for exchanging contact information prior to the day’s walk in case of separation. It is also a good idea to bring a portable power bank/phone charger just in case.
If severe weather is observed in the area, we will make the proper announcements via our sound systems, including the severity of the storm. Members of the Eucharistic Caravan will be responsible for exchanging contact information and coordinating transportation of their group (family, parish, youth group, or other organization) in case of inclement weather.
