{"id":97196,"date":"2026-01-08T16:22:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/?p=97196"},"modified":"2026-01-20T09:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T14:15:32","slug":"national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/","title":{"rendered":"National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to launch 2026 journey from St. Augustine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Bishop Erik Pohlmeier celebrates Mass at the Rustic Altar on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine during the 460th anniversary of Founders\u2019 Day. The altar stands near the area historians associate with the Mass of thanksgiving celebrated Sept. 8, 1565, at the founding of St. Augustine, the nation\u2019s oldest continuously occupied settlement. Photo by Fran Ruchalski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Kathleen Bagg<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Augustine will serve as the launching point for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as organizers announced a new East Coast route that connects faith, history and national identity during the country\u2019s 250th anniversary year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage will begin Memorial Day weekend with Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, where a Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated in 1565 at the founding of St. Augustine, the nation\u2019s oldest continuously occupied settlement. From Northeast Florida, the pilgrimage will travel north along the East Coast before concluding in Philadelphia on July 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was very excited when I was first contacted by the national office to begin the pilgrimage in St. Augustine,\u201d said Bishop Erik Pohlmeier. \u201cAs we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we want to recognize the faith that developed along with this country. The roots of Catholic faith had grown a lot in the years leading up to 1776, and this celebration is a call to embrace our legacy and carry the mission of the Gospel into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organized by the National Eucharistic Congress, the 2026 pilgrimage carries the theme \u201cOne Nation Under God.\u201d The route highlights key locations in the nation\u2019s Catholic and civic history and invites Catholics to reflect on the role of faith in shaping the country\u2019s past and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis National Eucharistic Procession is a sign of a faith that is still growing and working to bear fruit,\u201d Bishop Pohlmeier said. \u201cWe pray for our country and for the ideals that reflect the common good of every person. May God bring peace to our land and to every human heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Bishop Erik Pohlmeier celebrates Mass at the Rustic Altar on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine during the 460th anniversary of Founders\u2019 Day. Photo by Fran Ruchalski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage will run from late May through July 5 and will include prayer, worship and public witness centered on the Eucharist. It also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the addition of the phrase \u201cone nation under God\u201d to the Pledge of Allegiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with previous pilgrimages, a small group of \u201cperpetual pilgrims\u201d will travel the entire route. These young adults will participate in daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, devotions and encounters with local Catholic communities, accompanied by a media missionary who will help share the journey with a wider audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From St. Augustine, the pilgrimage will pass through most of the original 13 colonies, with stops in 18 dioceses and archdioceses, including Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte, Richmond, Arlington, Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Camden, Paterson, Springfield, Manchester, Portland, Boston, Fall River, Providence and Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The route will include commemorations of the Georgia Martyrs; Franciscan missionaries killed for their faith in 1597 whose cause for beatification advanced in 2025. Pilgrims also will celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi in the Washington and Arlington dioceses and visit Baltimore, the nation\u2019s first Catholic diocese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage has been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint. A private mid-point retreat is planned at the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City. The journey also will take place in solidarity with the U.S. bishops\u2019 call to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage will conclude in Philadelphia during Independence Day weekend, with special outreach for Catholic youth and extended Eucharistic adoration on July 4. A closing Mass will be celebrated July 5 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, followed by a Eucharistic procession to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizers said the 2026 pilgrimage builds on the momentum of the National Eucharistic Revival that began in 2022, offering Catholics across the country an opportunity to renew their faith while bearing witness to Christ\u2019s presence in the Eucharist and in the life of the nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kathleen Bagg St. Augustine will serve as the launching point for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as organizers announced a new East Coast route that connects faith, history and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[1307,1253,723,1306,1126],"class_list":["post-97196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diocesan-news","tag-250th-anniversary","tag-bishop-erik-pohlmeier","tag-diocese-of-st-augustine","tag-national-eucharistic-pilgrimage","tag-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-la-leche"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":""},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"

Bishop Erik Pohlmeier celebrates Mass at the Rustic Altar on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine during the 460th anniversary of Founders\u2019 Day. The altar stands near the area historians associate with the Mass of thanksgiving celebrated Sept. 8, 1565, at the founding of St. Augustine, the nation\u2019s oldest continuously occupied settlement. Photo by Fran Ruchalski. By Kathleen Bagg St. Augustine will serve as the launching point for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as organizers announced a new East Coast route that connects faith, history and national identity during the country\u2019s 250th anniversary year. The pilgrimage…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Diocesan News<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Kathleen Bagg","url":"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/author\/kbagg\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","yoast_head":"\nNational Eucharistic Pilgrimage to launch 2026 journey from St. Augustine - Diocese of St. Augustine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to launch 2026 journey from St. Augustine - Diocese of St. Augustine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Kathleen Bagg St. Augustine will serve as the launching point for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as organizers announced a new East Coast route that connects faith, history and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Diocese of St. Augustine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-08T21:22:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T14:15:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20250906-460th-ST-AUGUSTINE-FOUNDERS-DAY-398-1-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kathleen Bagg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kathleen Bagg\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/\",\"name\":\"National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to launch 2026 journey from St. Augustine - Diocese of St. Augustine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20250906-460th-ST-AUGUSTINE-FOUNDERS-DAY-398-1-1024x683.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-08T21:22:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T14:15:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f7ed49f3f77571c2c72790bcc64e93b3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/2026\/01\/08\/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-to-launch-2026-journey-from-st-augustine\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20250906-460th-ST-AUGUSTINE-FOUNDERS-DAY-398-1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dosafl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20250906-460th-ST-AUGUSTINE-FOUNDERS-DAY-398-1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"On September 8, 2025, the Diocese of St. Augustine and the City of St. Augustine celebrated the 460th anniversary of the founding of the city by Pedro Men\u00e9ndez on September 8, 1565. 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