On May 18, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage departed Indianapolis along the St. Katharine Drexel Route. Even as I write this, I can hardly believe that I’m doing this. We’ll make our way through parts of the Midwest, Texas, and the Southwestern United States, with the pilgrimage culminating on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi with Mass, a Eucharistic Procession, and a festival on June 22.
My name is Johnathan Hernandez, and I’m from Fort Wayne in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be part of something like this, I would have laughed in your face.
Why?
When I was a child, I loved Jesus, I loved him with all my heart. But during my teenage years, I made a huge detour. I let my guard down. In those years, I experienced the way the “devil prowls around,” seeking to snatch us away from God, as this verse from 1 Peter states: “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Pt 5:8-9).
I lost sight of Jesus and drifted away from his love. My focus was no longer on the Lord. I was lost for a while—and I suffered.
But I have also experienced what Peter says in the next verse of his letter: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you” (v. 10).
The Amazing Gift of God that Changed Everything
In 2023, by God’s grace, I attended World Youth Day in Portugal. There I discovered the real meaning of the Eucharist and encountered Jesus’ true presence! I got to know God in a way I couldn’t have imagined possible.
To think that I am a part of this Eucharistic pilgrimage is an amazing gift and blessing. Putting everything behind me this summer to follow the Lord wasn’t an easy decision. I’m leaving behind all the plans I had made for the summer, my friends, and especially my family, to go into what feels very much like unknown territory.
More than once, I’ve had to stop and reflect deeply: Why am I doing this? The reason is this: The peace and the joy that filled me at World Youth Day when I discovered Jesus’ true presence, I can’t fully comprehend or describe. But I know this: it is something I believe everyone should have the opportunity to have for themselves.
Ultimately, this is why I’m spending this summer as a Eucharistic Pilgrim. I am so incredibly grateful to be with Jesus as he restores the hearts of those we encounter. As he restored mine….
Getting Ready to Go….
My team and I have been preparing for this Pilgrimage and are now ready to go where the Lord is needed. We’ve spent months getting ready through praying together, Eucharistic adoration, and team meetings. We prayed for each other, yes, but most especially, we prayed for all of you who will encounter Christ this summer as the pilgrimage makes its way through the cities and towns of the south and western United States.
Not only that, but we also prepped personally for the pilgrimage—spiritually, mentally, and physically. Reflection was a big part of my preparation, praying quietly before Jesus in the Eucharist, reflecting gratefully on what he was bringing about in my life. These hours with Jesus brought me peace, knowing that the Lord has all things under control.
There was so much preparation ahead of the pilgrimage. I hiked many miles, packed my gear, and even talked with people I met while shopping for the trip. How many of these conversations turned out to be unexpected blessings! I also assisted with events in my diocese that strengthened my faith. I met so many people, shared Christ with them, and prayed with and for them. These moments drew me closer to God before I even took the first step as a pilgrim.
I’m so incredibly thankful for the people God has placed in my life—friends who bring me closer to him, who hold me accountable when I struggle, and who help me stay spiritually focused.
Now, as we settle into the rhythm of being Eucharistic pilgrims, I’ll have my team to lean on—and they’ll have me—as we leave everything behind and follow the Lord daily wherever he leads us.
There Is No Stopping Jesus
The first day of the pilgrimage was a somber day with rainy weather, but that didn’t stop Jesus! There was no stopping the mission that Jesus was on, and we started with a bang. One of our first stops was at St. Mary’s in El Paso, Illinois, the site where Archbishop Fulton Sheen was baptized. He was actually born just minutes from the church, and baptized May 12, 1895, in the church’s original wood structure which stood where the hall is now. To be there where Fulton Sheen received the sacrament of Baptism and to pray with the people of that parish was breathtaking! You could feel the joy and the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of all those who had gathered for the pilgrimage.
We moved on to St. Patrick Church of Merna in Bloomington, Illinois. What impressed me most about this beautiful church was the cross suspended above the altar. As I prayed there, the phrase that kept coming to my mind was, “Love for the Cross.” It is true that when we view the cross of Jesus, we see suffering, but we also witness the triumph of Christ.
I got to experience the meaning and the beauty of the cross later that evening. Following a full day of pilgrimage, we were praying along the route of a Eucharistic Procession to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois, where the tomb of Archbishop Fulton Sheen is located in the side chapel. I was feeling tired and a little heavy-hearted. I was inspired to turn to the people who had come to join the procession. I started a conversation with several of them, and am amazed at the way God showed me his love through his people. They gave me hugs, words of encouragement, and the promise of prayers. In a way, they were helping me carry my cross! I knew it was the Lord giving me extra motivation.
Please Pray for Us
May I ask you to please pray for us? And pray for the people who will encounter Jesus Christ along the pilgrimage route so that they will have a deep and lasting transformation and come to recognize his true presence in the Eucharist and his unending love for them. God Bless!
See you all in the Eucharist,
Johnny
