CHARLOTTE — An international chorus of prayer and praise for God erupted this week in response to a video of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage arriving to a warm welcome at a picturesque church in the Diocese of Charlotte.
The 2,200-mile pilgrimage up the East Coast, themed “One Nation Under God” in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, visited the Charlotte diocese May 30-June 2 and will end in Philadelphia on July 5. It attracted more than 1,000 people for Masses, Holy Hours and processions at five churches in the Charlotte and Greensboro regions, but a 36-second video of its arrival reached more than a million more – through social media.
Diocesan social media producer Amelia Kudela posted the reel featuring the Blessed Sacrament being welcomed at its first stop in North Carolina – Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe – on the Catholic News Herald’s Facebook page May 30. In the video, a priest brings the Blessed Sacrament out of a “monstrance van,” designed especially for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, and followed into the church by pilgrims and local people.
By the evening of June 2, as the pilgrimage moved north to the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, more than 1 million people had viewed the video – generating over 125,000 interactions, including more than 5,000 comments from people around the world. It was shared more than 2,300 times, many of those to international pages and groups that boosted its impact.
Deacon Jim Bozik, who helped coordinate the diocese’s pilgrimage events, found the moment exhilarating: “Whether experienced in person or online, the response to seeing Jesus in the Eucharist reflects His power to move us to love others – following His example and reminding us that we are not only one nation under God, but one human family united as children of God.”
Commenters posted in more than 20 languages besides English: Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Thai, Tamil, Sinhala (Sri Lanka), Igbo, Yoruba, Ganda and Haitian Creole.
People extolled the pilgrimage, which features a core group of pilgrims carrying the Blessed Sacrament into chosen venues and traveling by van in between. One person posted in Italian and English: “Amen Signore Gesù Cristo Divino Spirito Santo Ave o Maria grazia plena, the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is truly a blessed event that brings people together in faith and devotion to the Lord.”
Many commenters praised Jesus:
- In French, Yvette Laure wrote: “Jésus je t’aime” (“Jesus, I love you”)
- In Spanish, A César Miñarro posted: “Gloria a ti sr Jesús” (“Glory to you Lord Jesus”)
- In Hungarian, Vass György said: “Örök Dicsőség az Úrnak!” (“Glory to God forever!”)
- And Efrain Nava Paredes posted in Spanish, translated to: “Thanks Lord Jesus, thanks Father for giving us your son Jesus, thanks for giving us life, health, and work…”
Commenters also asked for prayers:
- “Pray for Nigeria we are in crisis,” Chinenye Calista Ndubuisi wrote in Igbo.
- “Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us sinners, Amen,” Анна Проць wrote in Ukrainian.
- “Amén señor Jesús en tí confío plenamente gracias por tu misericordia quita de mi esto,” Miguel Salala wrote in Spanish, which in English translates to “Amen Lord Jesus, I fully trust in you, thank you for your mercy, remove this burden from me.”
- “Amen Amen God Most High Amen Our Lady of Lourdes Pray for all of us and for John,” Lala Godoy said in Portuguese.
- “I ask a huge prayer favor for this group,” Nenne Ninna wrote in Italian. “There’s a loved one in desperate need of help, to save himself and his entire family. The Lord sees all and knows their needs. I ask from my heart for a grace and a huge prayer for them. Let’s join together because community prayer is powerful. Thank you to everyone.”
The widespread reaction surprised producer Kudela: “It’s a quirky and unexpected viral moment, for sure, and it does show communion among people in the digital world. Social media certainly has its downside, but it also can build people up and help them become part of something bigger than themselves. We’re glad this reel gave people an opportunity to feel that.”
The online reactions mirrored the reactions as the pilgrimage visited churches in Charlotte, Monroe, Statesville and Greensboro, diocesan organizers said.
Deacon Bozik hopes people hear a call to action: “What we need to ask ourselves, as the pilgrims are leaving our diocese and moving on to Richmond, is how do we, as Bishop Michael Martin always says, go forth and bring that sense of communion to others in our daily lives.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle