Ahead of its 250th anniversary, the U.S. will receive a blessing following a Eucharist procession in Washington, D.C., on June 5.
The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) began in St. Augustine, Florida, in late May and has since been traveling by van up the East Coast. More than 10,000 people have participated in associated events this year, according to an emailed NEP press release.
On the afternoon of June 5, the pilgrimage will move from the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, into the neighboring Diocese of Arlington. At 7 p.m., the NEP will host a Holy Hour for Vocations at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria.
From there, the Pilgrimage van, which has carried the Eucharistic Lord in the monstrance throughout the route, will drive across the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C..
“The Arlington Memorial Bridge, long recognized as a symbol of national unity and reconciliation between North and South, serves as a fitting gateway for bringing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, into the heart of the nation's capital,” the release states.
The van will stop at the Washington Monument, where the nine young adults, called perpetual pilgrims, who have accompanied the Eucharist throughout the journey, will join Catholic Information Center Director Father Charles Trullols for a Eucharistic Procession around the monument.
Immediately following the procession, the blessing will take place on the lawn overlooking the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol, marking a historic moment of prayer over the country.
The pilgrims and Father Trullols will then conclude the day of prayer with a second Holy Hour at the Catholic Information Center about 9:30 p.m. Catholic singer Marie Miller will provide the music.
This weekend also marks the Church’s feast of Corpus Christi, celebrating Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. As part of the NEP’s schedule, a Vigil Mass for the June 7 feast will be celebrated at 4:30 p.m. June 6 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which the NEP notes is often referred to as “America’s Catholic Church.” On June 7, the pilgrimage will proceed to Stafford, Virginia, where Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. William of York Parish, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. A Eucharistic Procession and a parish festival on parish grounds will follow.
After Virginia, the pilgrimage will continue on to archdioceses and dioceses in Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. It will conclude over Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the nation’s Declaration of Independence was signed, a fitting groundpoint for spiritual renewal as the country looks toward its future.