Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage organizers are seeking eight young adults to travel with the Eucharist from Indiana to California next summer. This journey will be part of the United States' second national Eucharistic pilgrimage, spanning six weeks.

The pilgrimage is set to commence on Pentecost Sunday, May 18, in Indianapolis and conclude in Los Angeles on June 22, the feast of Corpus Christi. The closing event will feature a special gathering hosted by the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., including a citywide Eucharistic procession.

The route will traverse several Southwestern states, with specific stops to be announced in early 2025. Among the planned visits are the tomb of Father Emil Kapaun in Wichita, Kansas, and the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City. Father Kapaun was a U.S. Army chaplain who died as a prisoner of war in North Korea and has been named a servant of God. Blessed Stanley Rother was a diocesan priest martyred while serving the poor in Guatemala.

Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., emphasized the spiritual significance of this pilgrimage: “We must not cease the work of revival that Christ began on the Cross, to draw every heart to his Eucharistic heart.”

Named after St. Katharine Drexel, who founded mission schools for American Indians and African Americans, this route will involve perpetual pilgrims accompanied by two chaplains. Participants will engage in weekly service projects along their journey. Applications for perpetual pilgrims are due by November 1.

The 2025 pilgrimage draws inspiration from last year's inaugural event leading up to the National Eucharistic Congress in July. During that time, 30 young adults traveled across four routes starting from California, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Texas before converging in Indianapolis.

Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of the board for the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., highlighted plans for continuing these pilgrimages: “We decided that we want to keep this tradition...and we’re going to do one next year.”

Los Angeles hosts more than 4 million Catholics within its archdiocese—the largest Catholic population among U.S. dioceses.