MCKEESPORT, PA, June 12 — On the 26th day of its journey from New Haven to Indianapolis, the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage spent most of the day in the Diocese of Greensburg before making a journey in the early evening into the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where it will remain for a week.
The day began with Mass at a rather full Sacred Heart Church in Jeannette, Pennylvania, where Bishop Larry Kulich celebrated Mass and Seton chaplain Father Joseph Mary Deane, CFR, preached.
Father Joseph Mary spoke about how the mystery of the Eucharist reveals to us most of all the lengths to which the Lord Jesus goes to pursue us, such that he humbled himself to become our companion and our food. The Lord remains with us in the Eucharist, Fr. Joseph Mary said, though the dark valleys as through the happy times. He gave several stories from his own life about how the Lord helped him, members of his family, and those to whom he was ministering in times of need.
After Mass, there was a Eucharistic Procession from Sacred Heart Church to the Church of the Ascension, also in Jeannette. Bishop Kulich carried Jesus the entire way, accompanied by several hundred in the procession.
Once the pilgrimage arrived at Ascension, Bishop Kulich gave Eucharistic Benediction and reposed the Blessed Sacrament as parishioners provided a big Italian lunch.
After lunch, the Seton pilgrims transported Jesus to Immaculate Conception Church in Irwin, where there was a special Eucharistic day being offered for the members of the parish's youth choir. There was a Eucharistic Holy Hour presided over by Bishop Kulich, at the end of which the youth choir sang two Eucharistic songs they had learned over the course of the day.
During his homily, directed especially to the 35 members of the choir, Bishop Kulich focused on how life is a "journey to meet Jesus." In fact, he said, "the most important thing that can happen to a person is to meet Jesus: Jesus who loves us, who has saved us, who has given his life for us."
He emphasized that we can meet Jesus every day in the Eucharist. Jesus comes to meet us just like he met the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, which was the Gospel passage for the holy hour. "The disciples on the journey receive Jesus, the same Jesus who is present to us on the altar."
The Greensburg bishop said that "one of the goals of this National Eucharistic Revival and specifically this National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, is for the people of our nation to remember that Jesus journeys with us in our everyday lives."
After he imparted benediction and the youth choir sang two of the hymns they had mastered during the day, Bishop Kulich thanked the National Eucharistic Pilgrims for their witness of Eucharist faith and love in the Diocese of Greensburg and, in the parish parking lot, there was an ice cream social for all attendees.
The pilgrims then left the Diocese of Greensburg to enter into the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where they will be for the next week. The first stop was St. Patrick's Church in McKeesport.
Pittsburgh auxiliary Bishop William Waltersheid met the pilgrims a few blocks from St. Patrick's, together with local clergy, as they processed together to St. Patrick's Church, with Seton chaplain Father Roger Landry carrying the Blessed Sacrament. At the entrance to St. Patrick's, he gave the Lord to Bishop Waltersheid who brought the monstrance to the altar and began a holy hour that included passages from the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, a chanted Divine Mercy chaplet, and a homily by Bishop Waltersheid.
During his homily, the Bishop focused on the consequences of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist on our daily life. He expressed "how magnificent" it is that the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage would be spending a week in the Diocese of Pittsburgh Jesus out of love for us has given us. The Eucharistic Jesus, he said, has the desire and power to make us saints.
He also encouraged us to imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary whose fiat at the Annunciation helps us to pray better our own fiat and amen to the mystery of the Eucharist.
After giving Eucharistic Benediction, Bishop Waltersheid reposed the Blessed Sacrament and there was a big Italian meal in the parish hall celebrating the arrival of the National Eucharistic pilgrimage to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
These photos are courtesy of St Vincent Archabbey.
These photos are from the Diocese of Greensburg.
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