More than 1,200 people turned out for the first stop of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Marian Route in the Archdiocese of Chicago on June 26 at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein. The pilgrimage visited the archdiocese from June 26 through June 30. The national pilgrimage includes four groups, traveling on foot with the Eucharist, from the north, south, east and west parts of the United States to the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-26 in Indianapolis, with stops in dioceses along the route. The Marian Route started at the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca in Minnesota. Mundelein Seminary played host to the U.S.’s first eucharistic congress in 1926. While aimed at youth, people of all ages attended Mass in the chapel and in an overflow space in the refectory, which was followed by a witness talk from one of the pilgrims. Then, people moved outside for a 1.5 mile eucharistic procession around the campus. During his homily, Father Dan Korenchan, associate pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, told the young people in attendance that the world needs them to teach and to be disciples. “As confusing as that command may be, it is said to you, especially to those of you here who are in the midst of trying to figure out what on earth you want to do with this life that you’ve been given,” Korenchan said. They can turn to Jesus to learn who they are, he said. “There’s a lot of false prophets out there today who don’t offer you an identity. They say you figure that out,” Korenchan said. “But Jesus today, from the Eucharist here, says you don’t have to figure yourself out.” They just have to remember Jesus is present in the Eucharist and turn to him during Mass and other occasions for guidance, she said. Jennifer Patel and her family have been following the Marian Route of the eucharistic pilgrimage and wanted to take part in it when it came to the Chicago area. She brought three of her four children from Gurnee to participate. “The kids find it super exciting that Jesus is traveling from Minnesota to Indianapolis and making a stop here, so we wanted to be here to say hi,” she said. The eucharisitic pilgrimage offers an opportunity for Catholics to reconnect with Jesus in a special way, she said. “I think that the Lord has so much to offer us and he’s waiting for us. With our busy lives we are so distracted. He is there calling our names and we can’t hear it,” she said. “This is a way for all of us to stop and see that he is there waving to us, welcoming us in.” Sarah Pringle of Lake Villa and her family took part in the pilgrimage to be part of the historic event. “We wanted to bring the kids to be part of this historic event and for them to see their faith in a different way than they’re used to,” Pringle said. Her young children love nature so being outside on the seminary’s picturesque campus was a bonus. “Families are part of the church,” Pringle said. “We’re part of the lifeblood and the community of the church, so I think it’s important for us to be a witness to everyone and for us personally to be part of the church in this way.” Having a national revival centered on the Eucharist benefits every member of the church today, Pringle said. “I think in a particular way it revives the faith of anybody that is maybe feeling a little lackluster,” she said. “I think in particular, it buoys our clergy and gives them support as they continue to move forward in their vocations and with the challenges that come with that.” Like other people who attended the event at Mundelein, Mallory Schug and her family have been following the pilgrimage online. “This isn’t something that’s happened in my lifetime and it’s certainly not happened in my children’s lifetime so I wanted to give them the opportunity to witness to the faith and fire that’s burning within everybody that’s accompanying the pilgrimage,” she said. “I think so many Catholics, we get so used to just kind of going through the motions that we need to really reignite our own spirits and the importance of this gift that we’ve been given,” Schug said.
Catholics unite for day of service with national pilgrimage Saturdays are dedicated to service on all four of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes throughout the U.S., and the Marian Route’s time in the Archdiocese of Chicago was no different. On June 29, parishes, ministries and organizations organized service opportunities that began with Mass and then sent volunteers to help those in need.
Young adults pack church for evening of eucharistic revival Hundreds of young adults gathered on the evening of June 28 to take part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, participating in Mass, a eucharistic procession and a reception with fellowship and witness talks afterward.
Cardinal Cupich leads last Mass for National Eucharistic Pilgrimage visit Holy Name Cathedral was standing room only June 30 for the last Mass and procession of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s five-day visit to the Archdiocese of Chicago.