The National Eucharistic Congress for the Catholic Church in the United States will take place July 17 to 21 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This congress is the culmination of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival sponsored by the bishops of the United States. The revival consisted of three phases: year one, "national"; year two, "diocesan"; and year three, "parish.
" Leading up to the Eucharistic Congress in July are four National Eucharistic Pilgrimages currently taking place. On each pilgrimage, participants attend Mass every day of their journey, along with regular evenings of reflection and adoration. As they travel, pilgrims grow closer to our lord through service to local communities, inviting the most marginalized among us to be revived by the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
Here are the four routes. The Marian Route (north) departed from the headwaters of the Mississippi, Lake Itasca, Minnesota, descending through the midwestern United States, passing through Wisconsin and Illinois, and meeting up with the other three pilgrimage routes at the Congress in Indianapolis. The Marian route is named for the pilgrims’ visit to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion — formerly Our Lady of Good Help — the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
This is fitting, because the very first Eucharistic pilgrimage was made by our blessed mother who traveled with the body of Christ growing in her womb. Just as Mary followed Jesus.
