Sights & Sounds: Little Flower parishioners join Eucharistic Pilgrimage
This year’s National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began during the Memorial Day weekend in Saint Augustine, Florida at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. There, in 1595, the first Catholic Mass was offered at the site of what would become the nation’s oldest continuously occupied settlement.
The pilgrimage, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with the theme “One Nation Under God,” then set off on a 2,200-mile journey to mark the 250th anniversary of the US; pilgrims will ultimately arrive in Philadelphia during the July 4 weekend.
A group of 13 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Newark, organized by Church of the Little Flower in Berkeley Heights, joined the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as it passed through the Diocese of Patterson on Sunday, June 14.
They attended a talk by preacher Father Raphael Capo, then processed with hundreds of other pilgrims as they followed the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Passaic, NJ.
The group from Little Flower later joined Newark’s Auxiliary Bishops Pedro Bismarck Chau, Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., and Michael A. Saporito, who concelebrated a Mass at the city’s Boverini Stadium, joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, leader of the Passaic procession, along with many other bishops and priests.
A moving experience of beauty and witness
“As a young pastor and priest, it is deeply inspiring to witness so many faithful people gathering in prayer, adoration, and reverence before the Most Blessed Sacrament,” said Father JC Merino, pastor of the Church of the Little Flower. “The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is a beautiful reminder that the Eucharist is not simply one devotion among many, but the source and summit of the Christian life. Seeing families, people of all ages, drawn to Jesus in the Eucharist gives me great hope for the Church and renews my confidence that Christ continues to lead, nourish, and unite His people.”
His parishioners were also deeply moved, with one woman, Marie, saying that her participation in the pilgrimage “brought back childhood memories.” Another pilgrim, John, noted “the extraordinary physical effort that this pilgrimage required of so many people,” many of whom “worked hard just to put one foot in front of the other for what was a grueling distance for them.”
“I was struck by the enthusiastic zeal for the Lord,” said another Little Flower pilgrim, Sheila. Her fellow pilgrim Barbara agreed, saying that they could “feel Christ’s presence with us. We saw that God is present in the beautiful parts of life, and in the worst.”
Parishioners also mentioned the pilgrimage’s beauty and diversity, with prayers offered in a variety of languages.
“I was moved by the opportunity to bear witness to our faith in our Lord in the Eucharist and to experience the multi-cultural reality of the Church,” said Dan Grossano, Little Flower’s Pastoral Associate for Outreach and Ministries.
To view more images of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as experienced by the parishioners of Church of the Little Flower, CLICK HERE.
Each week, Jersey Catholic features the rich and inspiring “Sights & Sounds” of the Archdiocese of Newark. Visit us regularly to explore our vibrant parishes, sacred artworks, historic landmarks, and the faithful men, women, and youth who bring our Catholic community to life.
Featured image: A group of pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Newark, organized by the Church of the Little Flower in Berkeley Heights, participated in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as it passed through Passaic, NJ on June 14. (Photos courtesy Church of the Little Flower)
