In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage announces its theme - One Nation Under God - as a nationwide call to renewal, unity, and mission rooted in the Eucharist. Jason Shanks, President of the National Eucharistic Congress, explained, “One Nation Under God is not a borrowed slogan; rather, it is an invitation to realign our lives, our communities, and our country under the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.” This pilgrimage takes place 75 years after the launch of the lobbying campaign spearheaded by the Knights of Columbus to add the phrase One Nation Under God into the nation’s pledge of allegiance.
Centered on encounter and mission as we walk with Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, the pilgrimage invites the faithful to renewal of faith, one person at a time. “Our hope is that Catholics will come together on this significant anniversary to give thanks for our country and to pray for our future. We want all Catholics to be inspired with missionary zeal to bring revival through the light and love of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, Chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress. In solidarity with the United States Bishops’ call to consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the 2026 Pilgrimage brings Jesus Himself directly to the American people with opportunities for public participation in processions, Masses, devotionals, and more.
The 2026 Pilgrimage will travel the Eastern Seaboard along the Cabrini Route, with St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen to be canonized, serving as patroness. Beginning in St. Augustine, Florida, and concluding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the route will pass through most of the original 13 colonies. Eighteen dioceses will host public pilgrimage events, while eight young adult perpetual pilgrims and a media missionary will undertake the full journey, including a private mid-point retreat at the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine in New York City.
From Memorial Day weekend through July 5, the daily rhythm will include Mass, walking processions, Eucharistic Adoration, witness talks, and service projects. The pilgrimage will pass through the dioceses of Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte, Richmond, Arlington, Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Camden, Paterson, Springfield (MA), Manchester, Portland (ME), Boston, Fall River, and Providence.
Key moments include the opening Mass at Our Lady of La Leche Shrine, site of the first Mass celebrated on American soil; commemorations of the Georgia Martyrs, who are hopefully soon to be beatified; celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi in both the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington; and a visit to America’s first Catholic diocese in Baltimore. A national prayer campaign will be launched as well as a digital lecture series that highlights themes and topics of America through a Catholic lens and framework.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the pilgrimage will culminate in Philadelphia with a weekend of events, including a special outreach for Catholic youth and all-day Eucharistic Adoration on July 4. The pilgrimage will conclude on Sunday, July 5, with a closing Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, followed by a Eucharistic Procession to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann.
As the Revival Impact Report is released to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on January 14, the pilgrimage seeks to extend the fruits of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival that began in 2022 and culminated in the 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and subsequent Congress in Indianapolis. The fruits of the 2025 Drexel Pilgrimage carry forward into the 2026 Cabrini Route. This year’s pilgrimage continues to plant seeds of faith, unity, and mission across the American Church as One Nation Under God.