Registration Opens for 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, Schedule Released
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and released a schedule for its public events.
The 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” lines up with the nation’s 250th anniversary, and organizers say many stops are meant to do more than bring people together in prayer. There’s an emphasis on U.S. history too, and the journey will run from Pentecost through Independence Day weekend. The plan also traces an “Eastern seaboard” path on what’s called the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route—named for the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
During the trip, a group of nine Perpetual Pilgrims will carry the Blessed Sacrament through several of the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern-rite eparchies. For those hoping to take part, the faithful are invited to join public processions and other events as they move through communities along the way. It’s the kind of logistics that you can almost feel in the background—like the muffled sound of prayer before the crowd really gathers.
Misryoum newsroom reported that the pilgrimage has been framed by leadership as a visible outgrowth of renewed Eucharistic faith. “In the past few years we’ve witnessed a powerful renewal of Eucharistic faith across the country,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress. He added that “The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is one of the most visible expressions of that renewal,” describing how believers bring Jesus in the Eucharist into streets and communities and invite people everywhere to encounter him.
The schedule includes processions passing through a long list of dioceses—starting in St. Augustine, Florida and moving through Savannah, Georgia; Charleston and Charlotte in South Carolina and North Carolina; Richmond and Arlington in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore, among others. Wilmington, Delaware; Camden and Paterson, New Jersey; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Boston, Springfield, and Fall River, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Philadelphia round out the mainland route.
Misryoum editorial desk noted the events hosted by dioceses are also described as opportunities for Mass, prayer, and community service. In St. Augustine, for example, the faithful can walk the grounds at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine, the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S., while learning about the Florida martyrs’ cause for canonization. There will also be a testimony from Monsignor James Boddie Jr., the first Black diocesan priest ordained in Florida, at Christ the King Catholic Church. In Savannah, people can learn about the Georgia martyrs who will be beatified on Oct. 31, and Father Pablo Migone will share a bilingual presentation about the martyrdom of Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas, Miguel, Antonio, and Francisco.
The nation’s capital is positioned as a halfway point: on June 6, the pilgrimage will partner with the annual Catholic Information Center Eucharistic procession that brings the real presence through Washington, D.C., near the White House and past the U.S. Capitol. Near Baltimore, there will be a procession and hymns on the grounds of the Washington Monument State Park, which has the country’s first monument to President George Washington, plus a Mass in the Basilica of the Assumption celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori—described as the first cathedral constructed in the United States and designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe under the guidance of Bishop John Carroll.
The final mainland procession is set from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal, with the diocese chartering a ferry for multiple trips to Peaks Island so passengers can travel while adoring the Eucharist. In Boston, adoration is planned at multiple historic sights including Plymouth Memorial Park and Bunker Hill. The pilgrimage concludes over Independence Day weekend in Philadelphia, with 24 hours of Eucharistic adoration in the Cathedral Basilica, showings of the feature film “Cabrini,” and a solemn closing Mass and Eucharistic procession through the city.
For people who can’t attend in person, organizers say the faithful can participate by submitting prayer intentions and spending time in Eucharistic adoration. The pilgrimage aims to gather 250,000 Holy Hours of prayer for the renewal of the nation, presented to national leaders, and weekly online lectures are planned through the Manna app. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the National Eucharistic Congress, said in a press release: “As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this pilgrimage is a powerful reminder that the deepest foundation of our country is our dependence on God.” He added that by carrying the Eucharist across the nation and gathering in prayer, the Church is asking the Lord to renew the Church and bless the country so it may truly be “one nation under God.”
For the full list of events and detailed schedule, those interested can visit the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website.
