Pope Leo XIV speaks via a video address to the Eucharistic pilgrimage at its concluding Mass in Philadelphia on July 5.Pope Leo XIV on July 5 praised Eucharistic pilgrims in the U.S. for walking thousands of miles with Christ as part of a “great legacy of faith” amid the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The pilgrimage, which carried the theme “One Nation, Under God,” began in St. Augustine, Florida in May and went as far north as Portland, Maine, before turning south and finishing in Philadelphia.
In a video message played at the concluding Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo said the pilgrimage, which traced a route through the original 13 colonies that rebelled against England in 1776, was “particularly appropriate” to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary of its founding.
The U.S., the pope said, “has been imbued with a sense of faith that recognizes God’s sovereignty even before its formal establishment.” The Holy Father cited a Mass of Thanksgiving held in 1583 in Saint Augustine, Florida, by Spanish explorers.
“This historical event, accompanied by many others, attests to the strong, though largely unknown, Eucharistic heritage of the United States of America,” the pope said. “This heritage, far from being forgotten, must continue to serve as a source of both renewal and unity.”
Participants carry the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage banner beneath a flag reading “God Bless America” and “One Nation Under God” during the procession through Philadelphia, Sunday, July 5.That history, the pope told the pilgrims, “has continued to bear fruit by leading new generations of American Catholics to Jesus Christ.” He also cited the examples of U.S. martyrs and U.S.-born saints, including St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Katharine Drexel.
“The intense apostolic activity of these holy men and women, and others like them, would not have been possible without the strength they drew daily from moments of silent prayer before the tabernacle,” he said.
The pope said the Eucharistic pilgrimage helps “carry on this great legacy of faith.” The Eucharist is “an invaluable gift,” he said, one that the Church in the U.S. will use to “find strength to carry on her charitable service to the wider society.”
Pope Leo urged the pilgrims to “place your lives under God’s loving providence as you return to your homes.” He also urged them to “cultivate a strong Eucharistic life among your families, friends, and communities.”
After the U.S. pilgrimage began on Pentecost in St. Augustine — the site of the 1583 Thanksgiving Mass referenced by Pope Leo XIV — it worked its way up the Eastern Seaboard, stopping at multiple U.S. dioceses and holy sites.
The route drew thousands of pilgrims in locations including Williamsburg, Virginia, Baltimore, and Boston. On June 6 the pilgrimage passed through the streets of Washington, D.C.
Along the way the pilgrimage gave recognition to uniquely American aspects of Catholicism, such as the Georgia Martyrs, who are scheduled for beatification on Oct. 31.
Pope Congratulates U.S. on 250th Anniversary
Pope Leo celebrated the contributions of Catholics and immigrants to the United States in an open letter to Americans for the country’s 250th anniversary.
The letter, dated June 25 and released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on July 3, also highlighted the principles of religious freedom and the right to life.
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, wrote that the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, “gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice and democratic self-government.”
The pope called religious freedom “among the most cherished of these principles,” writing that it is “central to the American promise, protecting both individual dignity and the peaceful coexistence of a diverse people.”
That freedom has allowed the Catholic Church to flourish in the U.S., serving the nation in many fields including “education, the preferential care for the poor, healthcare, and basic social services,” Pope Leo wrote.
The pope also underscored the importance for the country’s history of the “God-given dignity of every human life.” Recognizing that dignity means “safeguarding human life from its beginning at conception until natural death” and caring for the “vulnerable, the suffering, and the forgotten,” he wrote.
It also means “welcoming, protecting, and assisting immigrants,” who “have helped to shape the nation’s character,” Pope Leo wrote.
The pope’s letter to Americans closed with an invocation of the “Immaculate Conception, patroness of this country, that she will continue to watch over America and protect all who dwell therein.”
(Pope Leo photo by Vatican Media, pilgrimage photo by Jeffrey Bruno.)
By Daniel Payne and Francis X. Rocca, EWTN News
