Day 1 - Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe
MONROE — As the nine perpetual pilgrims from the National Eucharist Pilgrimage drove over the North Carolina state line from the Diocese of Charleston on May 30, they were greeted by more than 100 Catholics from the Diocese of Charlotte at their first stop - Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage celebrates America’s 250th anniversary with the theme “One Nation Under God,” and incorporates key sites in the history of the country and its Catholic roots.
The pilgrimage began on Memorial Day weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, where the first Mass on the continent was celebrated, and will end on July 5 in Philadelphia, just steps from where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The 2,200-mile route dubbed “The Cabrini Route” in honor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the religious sister and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants, will stretch through the 13 original colonies. North Carolina is the fourth state on the tour up the East Coast.
At Our Lady of Lourdes Church, the pilgrims who are accompanying the Blessed Sacrament processed from the “monstrance van,” a special van that has a built-in tabernacle visible through a large side window, into their first Holy Hour in North Carolina.
For perpetual pilgrim Mary Carmen, this spiritual journey continues to stir her soul.
“To see the People of God come together in such expectation and hope and excitement continues to amaze me,” Carmen said.
“They feel seen by God. This pilgrimage finds us. Jesus Christ is present in this, and He sees us. And it has been a great privilege and beauty to bring Him. Even though He resides in every tabernacle at any Catholic church, there is something very special about processing with Him to the church.”
Lynette Gates traveled 118 miles from Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville to be there.
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to do this again, so I had to get down here,” Gates said. “It’s so close, so I thought, ‘Why not?’”
After Holy Hour, Our Lady of Lourdes pastor Father Benjamin Roberts celebrated a joyful Mass punctuated with a homily that emphasized the importance of God’s love.
“Our faith is a love story. Our message is a love story. Our destiny is a love story,” he said. “Because God is love, and in His perfect Trinity, nothing is needed, nothing is lacking. There is no loneliness. There is no isolation. There is only love.”
Day 2 - St. Peter and St. Vincent De Paul churches, Charlotte
CHARLOTTE — The second day of the National Eucharist Pilgrimage’s visit to the Diocese of Charlotte was bustling with activity with Masses, a meet and greet, a Holy Hour and Eucharistic procession and a screening of the film “Cabrini” at Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen.
Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., celebrated the Mass for Trinity Sunday at St. Peter Church in Charlotte – the oldest active parish in the diocese – as more than 450 people turned out to greet the pilgrims, filling the church and an overflow area.
The nine "Perpetual Pilgrims" leading the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage sat in the front pew, listening to the bishop’s message which provoked a tangible response to the mystery of the Trinity.
“God does so much of the work in helping us to engage and encounter the mystery of the Trinity,” Bishop Martin said. “We are left with the work of how we are going to use that.”
He pointed to the perpetual pilgrims and commended them on bringing the gospel reading, John 3:16, to life.
“(Pilgrimage) is a metaphor for life. We are all on a pilgrimage,” he said. “They are bringing the Real Presence of Jesus to this place and that.”
Yet, Jesus’ Body and Blood are not just given to us to adore, the bishop cautioned; Jesus asks us to take action.
“Jesus said, ‘Do this in memory of Me,’” the bishop said. “He has touched us with His Body and Blood and tasked us to be His presence in the world.”
After Mass, the perpetual pilgrims gathered to meet with parishioners from across the diocese. But first they lived the homily message by engaging with those present on the street.
The pilgrims then visited a nearby retirement home, breaking bread with those who shared their own faith journeys.
Before watching the free screening of “Cabrini,” co-sponsored by St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, the pilgrims brought the Blessed Sacrament to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte for a Spanish Mass, Eucharistic procession and Holy Hour.
Perpetual pilgrim Sharon Phillips from Washington, though tired from the long day, loved bringing the Blessed Sacrament to others.
“I am really enjoying my stay in Charlotte. I have never been to this part of the country before, so I was showing up with a fresh, clean slate to all these events and areas and churches,” Phillips said.
“You can’t get much better than a time of adoration in a local church with all the parishioners of that community adoring our Lord,” she said.
Day 3 - St. Philip the Apostle Church, Statesville
STATESVILLE — On day three, the energy of the pilgrimage continued to surge as 400 people processed across the campus of St. Philip the Apostle Church. Monday morning looked more like an overflowing Sunday as pilgrims gathered for Mass, a Holy Hour, and an opportunity to bring the Blessed Sacrament out into the world.
Father Bernard I. Oleru, M.S.P., and the parish were honored to host the powerful spiritual event.
Father Oleru, a native of Nigeria, reflected on the 250th anniversary of the United States and the gift of God within the Eucharist with reverence.
“This year the United States of America is celebrating 250 years of independence, of freedom, and the bishops and the Church have decided to allow this Eucharist, Jesus Himself, to bless the land,” he said.
“The greatest thing we have is the Eucharist. Our strength is the Eucharist,” he said. “We are Catholic because Jesus is here in the Eucharist. He is not just a symbol. The same Jesus that died on the cross, the same Jesus who rose from the dead, the same Jesus who promised the disciples the Holy Spirit, that is the same Jesus who is here.”
Given that, he cautioned that Catholics must never get so comfortable that they forget God's real presence in the Host.
“Have we become so close to the Eucharist that we do not see Jesus anymore?” he asked.
Ron Wasserman, who was vacationing from Indianapolis, certainly saw it. A strong urge to better recognize God’s presence led him to the little church in a small town where he only knew one person – Jesus.
Determined to travel to one destination along the Cabrini route, he moved his plans to visit his sister and brother-in-law in Taylorsville up one week to coincide with the pilgrimage.
“It was divine intervention indeed, divine providence,” he said. “Today was glorious, unbelievable. A great opportunity to worship God and spend time with Jesus in prayer and adoration and giving thanks for all the many blessings.”
Later that day, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in south Charlotte, Hispanic parishioners welcomed the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage at a packed Sunday afternoon Mass. Led by Capuchin Franciscan Father Michael Herlihey, the Mass brought a joyful celebration to the afternoon stop, uniting the Hispanic community with the nine perpetual pilgrims traveling the route. Read more.
Day 4 - St. Pius X Church in Greensboro
GREENSBORO — The pilgrims ended their journey through the diocese with a two-day visit to St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. There, more than 300 people from Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, High Point, Winston Salem and other areas attended a June 1 procession and a Mass celebrated by Father Christian Cook.
“It was so beautiful and inspiring and liberating,” said Sister Archana from the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in High Point. Sister Archana joined in the procession and said the visit was “a gift and a blessing.”
The next day, the pilgrims visited Greensboro Urban Ministry for one of their largest service projects, distributing food brought by Mass attendees to Greensboro Urban Ministry, with whom the parish has a longstanding partnership. The pilgrims also handed out cookies made by St. Pius X youth.
“This is important to me because the folks that we are helping really are struggling,” said Suzanne Bland, Director of Development at GUM. “Just to know that somebody is praying for them is so powerful, and that somebody is willing to be so generous with their time and knowing that somebody cares.”
The visit hit close to home for perpetual pilgrim Zachary Dotson, who helps run one of the only five-day-a week soup kitchens in the Diocese of Gary, Indiana.
What stood out to Dotson most is that “it’s not about how you move physically; it’s about how you move internally when you are on the pilgrimage.”
— Lisa M. Geraci and Brian Segovia. Photos also by MaryAnn Luedtke Photography and Georgianna Penn