Seminarian on Marian Route says pilgrimage has laid foundation for ‘explosion of grace’ at Congress
A eucharistic procession departs Holy Angels Parish for St. John the Evangelist Parish, both in Indianapolis, on July 16 as the last leg on the Marian (northern) Route of the National Eucharistic Procession. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Mike Krokos
It took nearly two months, but Mason Bailey is almost home.
A seminarian for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in northern Indiana, Bailey is one of the eight perpetual pilgrims who participated in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Marian (northern) Route that began at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota on Pentecost Sunday on May 19 and arrived in the archdiocese at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis on July 14. (See our news coverage and photos of the National Eucharistic Congress at www.archindy.org/congress.)
“It’s been a wild ride,” he said with a smile as he reflected on the several-hundred mile journey. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. There’s been hardship for all of us as a team, but we’ve really rejoiced in the challenge.”
Bailey, 24, is a member of Most Precious Blood Parish in Fort Wayne and is about to begin his second year of priestly formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad.
He said the pilgrimage provided “a wonderful time to reflect on why I am becoming a priest, and [it’s] also been a wonderful opportunity to see so many priests across so many different dioceses and so many religious orders and bishops … to see how all of them shepherd their people. It’s been a great opportunity to learn from them.”
The pilgrims faced limitations on their journey, he said, including at times dealing with “social exhaustion, or emotional or spiritual [exhaustion].”
While transportation was used for parts of the pilgrimage, the perpetual pilgrims have walked close to 300 miles, said Bailey. “And none of us have done anything like this in our lives—I know I haven’t—and the new experience of walking that much and maintaining reverence and still being close to God.”
As he reflected on the two-month pilgrimage of faith, Bailey said “seeing parishes that nobody sees, outside of the parishioners … rural churches in the middle of nowhere” was a blessing.
“They are so beautiful, and it was so wonderful to experience them,” he noted, offering SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Gilman, Minn., in the Diocese of Saint Cloud as an example.
“It’s got a population of about 200, but the church is a beautiful, Polish church on a hill, with a cemetery in the back and two steeples. The bells were ringing as we processed up to it.”
While the pilgrims were processing through town, there was a little baseball game being played, which Bailey said offered a beautiful snapshot of life in this rural community.
“It was so American, so Catholic, and so beautiful that we were able to see that,” he said. “To now be able to tell people about places like this, that nobody would normally have a pilgrimage to, now to invite people to do that. That’s been a great grace.”
‘A renewed dedication to the Eucharist’
Erin Jeffries, director of spiritual life and formation ministry at St. Luke, said the parish had been asked months ago to host the perpetual pilgrims of the Marian Route overnight and to host an event with them.
On the evening of July 14, more than 100 parishioners took part in a holy hour with the pilgrims. It included meditation, vocal prayer, singing and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
“Our big hope over this year has been a renewed dedication to the Eucharist,” Jeffries noted, “refocusing on Christ’s presence and his centrality in our life as a parish and individually.”
As pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, Msgr. Joseph Schaedel said the faith community embraced the opportunity to host the pilgrims and have a holy hour with them, celebrate a July 15 Mass with the group and to take part in this week’s National Eucharist Congress.
“People are excited about it, and I think we’ll have a good showing [at the Congress] from St. Luke,” he said.
Msgr. Schaedel said he plans to participate in the Congress, and hopes “to come away, like everybody else, with a deeper appreciation for the power of the Eucharist.
“I think it will come to a lot of us priests, not so much through the talks that we’ll be able to hear. … I think it’s going to be the ability to be with so many thousands of people.”
Reflecting on the history of large gatherings in the archdiocese, Msgr. Schaedel cited a Mass attended by 30,000 on Sept. 16, 2000, in the former RCA Dome in Indianapolis for the Great Jubilee.
“I remember when the priests were lining up to process in for the Mass, some of them saw all the people there, and they just started crying,” he said. “It was simply the witness of the people.”
Msgr. Schaedel expects other graces from this week’s five-day gathering. “They’ll be graces in the liturgies and at [perpetual] adoration at St. John [the Evangelist Church]. … And from the talks, too.
“I think just being in the embrace of so many Catholics who love the Eucharist and want to spread devotion to the Eucharist will be exhilarating.”
‘A great revival of Catholicism in America’
As Bailey prepared to participate in the National Eucharistic Congress this week in Indianapolis, he had a simple hope and prayer.
“I think the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has really paved the way for an explosion of grace at this Congress,” he said. “There were so many people that we met while journeying who said, ‘We’ll see you in Indy.’ … They’re all on fire, and I think this is just the beginning of a great revival of Catholicism in America. That’s certainly my prayer. I think we’re on the verge of something great. I’m really optimistic.” †
Related story: Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes meet in Indy with Christ leading the way
