Over 1,400 Catholics proclaim their faith at annual pilgrimage
Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Newark gathered on the morning of Mar. 22 at Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Linden, N.J., to give public witness to their faith in Jesus Christ. The sixth annual “Ten Miles with Jesus” pilgrimage invited people to take up the “physical, spiritual, and personal” challenge of following the cross through busy public streets, and past apartment complexes, parks, and industrial buildings, on a 10-mile route that would lead them to Newark’s magnificent Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
According to organizers, more than 1,400 people registered for the event. Behind tall wooden crosses and religious banners, participants sang, prayed, and chatted, stopping 14 times to meditate upon the Stations of the Cross that mark significant moments of the Passion of Jesus.
They walked in three groups — organized for prayer in Polish, English, and Spanish — but pilgrims mingled freely throughout the day. Walking slightly behind each group, priests made themselves available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Planting the seeds of a new tradition
The 10-mile pilgrimage began six years ago, when some of the Polish parishioners of Saint Theresa’s decided to share a beloved tradition with the rest of the archdiocese.
“Pilgrimages like this one are very important to Catholics in Poland,” said Janusz Argasinski, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s something we love to do, and we wanted to plant that same experience here.”
Argasinki, an IT professional, built the pilgrimage’s website and oversees the event’s registration and crowd management, among other responsibilities. He and his family are part of the team that prepares and runs the annual pilgrimage. It is a work that he sees as integral to his Christian life. “It’s important to manifest our faith as Catholics,” he said. “That’s also why you see so many banners, and why we are so enthusiastic about expressing our love for Christ and our need for repentance.”
His son, Daniel, who is 19, coordinates the check-in process and leads youth volunteers. He said that he enjoys being part of “such a big, tight-knit community, bound in faith.”
“When you are walking along the route, people will wave and honk their horns in support,” he said. “It’s nice to see people coming out of their houses to watch a large crowd of people following the cross through their town.”
Sharing God’s love
“All these people who are participating have experienced God’s love and presence in their lives,” said Fr. Ireneusz Pierzchala, pastor of St. Theresa’s. “They simply want to do something so that others can have a similar experience.”
He said that he met many of the people involved in the pilgrimage in the confessional. “I’m kind of working with them in their spiritual journeys. At some point, they want to do something for God,” he said.
The event is really about receiving God’s love, Fr. Pierzchala said. “Everybody is searching for the same thing: to love and to have the opportunity to love. When people experience this, they want to share it with everyone.”
“Take away the stone”
About seven hours after starting out from Linden, the line of pilgrims began arriving at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. There were many cheers and hugs. The wooden crosses that led the procession were set gently upon the steps of the cathedral. Weary pilgrims knelt to kiss them.
The pilgrimage culminated in a Mass. As it began, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, thanked the pilgrims for their “sore feet” and their public witness.
In his homily, he spoke about the raising of Lazarus, recounted in the day’s Gospel reading, “the last miracle that Jesus performs before he goes up to Jerusalem, where he will suffer, die, and rise.”
When Jesus arrives at the house of Lazarus, his friend has already been dead for four days, and “all hope has been lost,” the cardinal said. “But the fact that he comes sparks something, a little light inside his friends, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus.”
Cardinal Tobin said that many in our world have lost hope, due to “a bitter disappointment, betrayal, an injustice suffered, or even our own terrible mistakes,” but that Jesus “approaches our tombs and He says to us, ‘Take away the stone.’”
The cardinal encouraged the pilgrims to seek out a confessional or reconciliation room as Lent approaches. “It’s in the darkness, it’s in the suffering, that God comes to us,” he said. He entreated pilgrims not to give in to pessimism, fear, discouragement, or resentment, adding that “Jesus doesn’t want you to be afraid; He wants you to be alive.”
“Brothers and sisters, come back to life,” Cardinal Tobin said.
To view a photo gallery of the 2026 “Ten Miles with Jesus” pilgrimage, CLICK HERE.
You can view Jersey Catholic’s video of the pilgrimage below:
Featured image: Pilgrims carrying a wooden cross in the “Ten Miles with Jesus” procession approach the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ on Mar. 22, 2026. (Photo by Deacon Asterio Velasco / Archdiocese of Newark. Additional photos and video by Julio Eduardo Herrera and John Touhey / Archdiocese of Newark)
