One Nation Under God

The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

We have an exciting opportunity in May as our nation continues to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The third annual National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will join this historic occasion with the nationwide call to Eucharistic renewal and unity that began in 2022.

With a theme of One Nation Under God, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will begin in St. Augustine near where the first Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of La Leche Shrine at Mission Nombre de Dios. This first Mass was the origin of the oldest Catholic parish in what is now the United States.

This year’s pilgrimage route, named for Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, begins in Saint Augustine and will travel through each of the original thirteen American colonies, ending in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Independence Day weekend.

The Diocese of St. Augustine has four days of events planned from May 22 through May 25 when Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, Bishop of St. Augustine, transfers the Most Holy Eucharist by watercraft to Bishop Stephen Parkes, Bishop of Savannah, at the St. Marys, Georgia, waterfront.

On Saturday, May 23, there will be a special reenactment of the landing of Spanish Admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. Avilés came ashore at what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and formally claimed the land for Spain, establishing the settlement that would become the first permanent European settlement in what is now the continental United States. Shortly after landing, Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales, chaplain of the expedition, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving, marking the beginning of Catholic parish life in this new land. From that moment, Catholic parish life and Eucharistic devotion took root in this new land.

Fr. Gilbert Medina (above right), Pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Deland and Spiritual Advisor for Orlando Cursillo, has been asked to serve as Pedro Menéndez de Avilés at the opening ceremonies.

This is an exciting opportunity for each of us to walk with Jesus truly present in the Eucharist as the National Pilgrimage begins.  For more information about the events taking place in the Diocese of St. Augustine please visit: https://web.cvent.com/event/093e6a88-8eb9-494f-a485-539599bfe064/summary.  For more information about the Pilgrimage Route and events in other dioceses, please visit: https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/.