Parishioners are called to join the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine
The faithful are being called to join the Archdiocesan 50th Anniversary Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The Pilgrimage, the first since 2019, will be led by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Transportation will be coordinated at the parish level. The Pilgrimage, first held on Oct. 13, 1973, takes place every three years for the Archdiocese of Newark parishioners.
The day will include a concert of sacred music, confessions offered in multiple languages, the Holy Rosary, a colorful procession of parish banners representing the Archdiocese’s 212 parishes, and Holy Mass in the Great Upper Church.
“We are very excited to conduct our Archdiocesan pilgrimage again after the pandemic,” said Father Joseph A. Mancini, V.F., K.C.H.S., Director of Archdiocesan Liturgies. “So many members of our Archdiocesan family who have attended in the past have commented on the beauty of the day and the graces they have received through their participation. I encourage anyone who is able to join us.”
Called “America’s Catholic Church,” the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the United States and the unity and universality of the Catholic Church.
It is also a Marian shrine, housing more than 80 chapels and oratories honoring Mother Mary as the patroness of our nation under her title of the Immaculate Conception.
A pilgrimage is a personal and communal journey that has been part of Catholic devotional practice throughout the world for years. The spiritual aspect of this pilgrimage is a tribute to Mary, Mother of the Church. The trip itself is planned as a Marian Devotion.
“For the Church, pilgrimages, in all their multiple aspects, have always been a gift of grace,” said St. John Paul II, who visited the shrine in 1979. Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2008, and Pope Francis celebrated Mass there in 2015 after blessing the dome.
In addition to the upper church with its breathtaking Trinity Dome, the massive space honors how Mary is portrayed in various cultures. It also contains the world’s largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical art.
Among the nationalities and ethnicities represented throughout the Basilica are African, Austrian, Chinese, Cuban, Czech, Filipino, French, German, Guamanian, Hungarian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Korean, Latin American, Lebanese, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian, and Vietnamese.
Religious communities from around the world are also represented, including the Augustinians, Carmelites, Claretians, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Montfort Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Redemptorists, Salesians, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Providence, and Vincentians.
In 2019, 4,000 members of the Newark Archdiocese in 84 buses journeyed to “Mary’s House” in Washington, D.C.
For more information, visit the Pilgrimage webpage at rcan.org. For information on bus transportation to the shrine, contact your local parish.
Featured image: The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (Washinton, D.C.org)
