Applications open for 2027 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ‘Perpetual Pilgrims’

Applications are open for young adults to accompany the Blessed Sacrament through communities across the U.S. during the 2027 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

Nine applicants ages 19 to 29 will be selected to serve as Perpetual Pilgrims throughout the journey, which will run from May 12 through June 30, 2027, according to a Sept. 15 press release from the National Eucharistic Congress. 

The pilgrims will live and travel together, and their days will be centered on Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, processions, service, and evangelization, according to the announcement.

“The Perpetual Pilgrims are not simply traveling across the country — they are being invited to live the life of the Apostles, staying close to Our Lord and bringing Him to people wherever they are,” Maria Benes, director of pilgrimages, said in the release.

Beyond taking part in the public events, the pilgrims will help with daily ministry and logistics as they travel, sometimes walking as many as 15 miles and relying on hospitality from local communities.

Angelina Marconi, who was a 2026 Perpetual Pilgrim, told Zeale News Sept. 16 that she would encourage young adults who may be interested in applying to bring it to Christ in the Eucharist with an open heart. She noted that in her own discernment process for applying, there wasn't a major "sign" to go off of in deciding to apply — just prayer based on love of the Eucharist.

"My advice is that even if you feel like you have a small calling to apply to be a Perpetual Pilgrim, take it to prayer," Marconi said. "The thought of applying to be a Perpetual Pilgrim for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage was not even on my mind last fall until someone told me that they saw something in me and told me to apply. It is a discernment process. Go to adoration and open your heart to what the Lord wants for you next summer."

"I didn’t have this big sign or arrows telling me to apply," she added. "However, I prayed about how my own encounters with the Eucharist and my continued devotion to weekly adoration (even imperfectly showing up) play a big part in my Catholic faith. Since I didn’t hear God telling me no, I said yes to applying and trusting His will."

Marconi also shared that being a part of the pilgrimage this year has been deeply meaningful for her, reiterating that openness to His will can bring one on unexpected, but beautiful journeys.

"Even one seemingly simple yes is enough for God to move in your life and surprise you," she said. "He will make it clear if He wants you to be part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage throughout the application process. Trust that He knows best where He wants your hands and feet. It’s one of the best 'yes' I have had in my life, and the graces received on pilgrimage will continue to outpour in ways I can’t even imagine."

The Sept. 15 announcement also highlighted encounters from the 2026 pilgrimage, including one from Mary Carmen Zakrajsek, a Perpetual Pilgrim who met with an elderly man in a wheelchair during a Eucharistic procession through a retirement community. 

“I wanted him to know he was seen. Not just by me, but by our God,” she said according to the release. “To be seen by God, that is the cry of our heart.”

The 2027 journey will mark the fourth year of the Perpetual Pilgrim program. Organizers said the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has passed through 40 states and 98 dioceses over the previous three years, with more than 466,000 people estimated to have attended events. Past routes have included stops in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles.

The route for the 2027 pilgrimage has yet to be announced. More information about the program and applications is available here.