This summer, nine Catholic young adult men and women who hail from different states, occupations, and devotional journeys will embark together on a cross-country pilgrimage bringing Christ in the Eucharist to local communities along a particularly patriotic route.
Known as the “perpetual pilgrims,” the young adults will begin their journey on May 25 in St. Augustine, Florida, and end in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 5. The stops along the way will bring them through most of the original 13 colonies, a route planned as America celebrates its 250th birthday. Orchestrated by the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP), the theme of the 2026 journey is “One Nation Under God.”
According to the NEP website, it is estimated that tens of thousands of Catholics will participate in at least a portion of the pilgrimage. The perpetual pilgrims will travel by van with the Blessed Sacrament to each route stop, where they will hold processions with local parishes and engage in volunteer service.
Each perpetual pilgrim's reason for spending a month and a half of the summer in such a tight-knit community is unique, but every young adult shares a foundational motivation: the desire to share with the nation the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Get to know each of the perpetual pilgrims below.
Zach Dotson
Zach Dotson, a resident of Hammon, Indiana, traded a career in finance for parish work to serve those in need. According to his NEP bio, Dotson “can be found in the parish’s soup kitchen, working to spread our Lord’s divine mercy and love.” His bio adds that Dotson hopes that the NEP will increase conversions and draw fallen-away Catholics back to the faith.
“Having experienced firsthand the immense effect of being in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord,” Dotson’s bio states, “he is so excited to expose more people to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus through this pilgrimage.”
Marcel Ferrer
While many college students look forward to returning home for the summer, Marcel Ferrer, a sophomore at Franciscan University, chose to spend much of his break on the NEP’s prayer-filled road.
“He hopes that his witness allows the Lord to draw people closer to his Sacred Heart,” his bio states.
Marcel particularly feels drawn to youth ministry and stays involved in leading confirmation retreats. Marcel’s bio relates that “he grew up Catholic, but fell away from the faith during adolescence. In his junior year of high school, he had a reversion back to the faith through a powerful experience with our Lord during Eucharistic Adoration. Since then, he has pursued intimacy with Jesus at every moment.”
John Paul Flynn
Another college student joining the group is John Paul Flynn, a sophomore at Catholic University of America. According to his bio, he will be serving as the videographer and photographer for the pilgrimage and looks forward to depicting the Eucharist’s beauty through this medium. Raised Catholic along with 14 siblings, Flynn “has especially grown in faith in recent years through mission activities and serving those around him,” his bio notes.
Cheyenne Johnson
Not all of the participating young adults are first-time perpetual pilgrims; Cheyenne Johnson served in the 2025 pilgrimage, and she is returning as this year’s team lead.
Johnson studied music, elementary education, and Chinese at Butler University, and after graduation, she pursued missionary work.
“She is currently serving as a missionary in New Jersey, where she gets to encounter the love of Christ in serving the materially poor every day,” her bio states.
As team lead, Johnson “is excited to walk alongside others and witness how our Eucharistic Lord desires to continue encountering his people,” the bio later adds. “Being a convert to the Catholic faith, she knows the power of encountering Jesus in the Eucharist.”
Eddie Gutierrez
Eddie Gutierrez, who hails from southern California, works at a tax firm and in youth and young adult ministry. According to his bio, he was a cradle Catholic who occasionally attended church when he was growing up. He majored in accounting at Arizona-based Grand Canyon University, where “he experienced a profound renewal of faith through the Holy Spirit Newman Center,” a place at which “he encountered the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Church.” He received the sacrament of Confirmation in 2022.
“Since then, the Lord has set his heart on fire for Him, and that has borne fruit to the rest of his family, as they have experienced a reversion as well,” his bio continues.
On the pilgrimage, Gutierrez is looking forward to bringing the Lord “to those who do not yet know His love,” his bio states, “and [he] longs for them to experience the same joy and freedom he has found in Christ.”
Raymond Martinez II
One of the perpetual pilgrims is discerning and studying to be a priest: Raymond Martinez II is a seminarian at the Missouri-based Conception Seminary College, according to his bio. He was raised in a Catholic household in Texas, “where a Catholic homeschooling curriculum gave him a strong foundation for his faith from an early age,” according to his bio.
“Since he was young, he has had a deep love for Christ in the Eucharist,” the bio continues. “He has always desired to share his love of Christ with others and is excited that this pilgrimage will give him a great opportunity to do so!”
Sharon Phillips
Franciscan University alum Sharon Phillips is a youth minister in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Originally from northern California, Phillips has been building a Eucharistic discipleship-focused program in her current role in Washington, according to her bio.
She enjoys songwriting, leading praise and worship, and trying outdoor activities. Phillips’ bio adds that she “hopes to always be the face of Christ to a world who needs every reason to recognize him.”
Mary Carmen Zakrajsek
Hailing from Carmel, Indiana, Mary Carmen Zakrajsek is a director of youth faith formation in South Bend. According to her bio, she also has a background in pro-life work. After she graduated from Marian University in 2021, Zakrajsek worked for Students for Life of America and then for a pro-life women’s care center.
Her bio states that as one of the pilgrims, Zakrajsek “is excited to walk alongside Jesus in a literal way — through busy streets and across bridges, welcoming him and following him like the early apostles, and witnessing to the transformative power he has wrought in her life.”
Angelina Marconi
Angelina Marconi is from Arkansas and currently works as a college athletic trainer in Louisville, Kentucky. According to her bio, Marconi “grew up singing at Mass and developed her foundation of faith from her home and community.” In Louisville, she continues to cultivate community by participating in local Catholic young adult events.
As a college athletic trainer, Marconi “has the honor to see athletes develop through challenges and triumphs,” her bio adds. Because of this work, she eventually became involved with FIERCE Athlete and the FIERCE Coach ministry, which are a part of a pro-woman Catholic sports apostolate.
Her bio states that as a pilgrim, Marconi is looking forward to seeing “how Jesus walks with each person who encounters him through the Eucharist this summer.”