In preparation for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July, a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began on Pentecost Sunday. According to the chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, “The Pilgrimage will be a powerful, once-in-a-lifetime witness of how Jesus Christ comes close to us and invites all to encounter Him in the Eucharist.”

Perpetual pilgrims on four different routes – north, south, east, and west – started making their way through dioceses across the country, stopping at holy sites and churches along the way and inviting the faithful to join them in encountering the Eucharistic Lord. The St. Juan Diego Route began in Brownsville, TX, and the route’s pilgrims are scheduled to travel through the Diocese of Birmingham after their pilgrimage through the Archdiocese of Mobile.

The first scheduled diocesan event the public is invited to attend will be a 5 p.m. bilingual Mass on June 16 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover. A dinner will follow in the church’s Deasy Hall. Afterward, a pilgrim testimonial and adoration will take place in the church. The next day at Prince of Peace will begin with Mass at 8:30 a.m., a light breakfast, a one-mile Eucharistic Procession at 9:30 a.m. starting and ending at the church, and a presentation on the Eucharist in the parish’s Deasy Hall at 10 a.m. The church is located at 4600 Preserve Parkway.

The next location to host the Pilgrimage will be the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville. The shrine will be hosting an Adoration Sodality Day of Recollection on June 20, beginning at 7 a.m. with Mass. Confessions, breakfast, a talk on the Eucharist, tours, and a Rosary will follow. At 1:30 p.m., a procession from the shrine’s Lourdes Grotto will take place to the main church for a Eucharistic Healing Service, confessions, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the nuns. The shrine is located at 3224 County Rd. 548.

The faithful of the diocese wishing to participate in any of the planned events must register. Registration as well as a complete schedule with exact times is available at euchristicpilgrimage.org. Simply select “Juan Diego Route” under the “Routes” tab, select Birmingham or Hanceville on the interactive map, then click “Learn More” to the left of the map.