Day 59 — Pilgrimage Across Indianapolis; One Day to Go

INDIANAPOLIS, July 15 — The Seton Route pilgrims spent the penultimate day of their 1,200 mile journey from New Haven, Connecticut walking across eastern Indianapolis on procession, drawing closer to the formal end of the pilgrimage tomorrow with a pilgrimage to St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Indianapolis.

The pilgrims will continue the interior pilgrimage they've been on throughout the five days of the National Eucharistic Congress, which begins on Wednesday.

Their 59th day began with Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit. Seton Chaplains Father Giuseppe Siniscalchi, CFR, and Father Roger Landry were, respectively, the principal celebrant of the Mass and the preacher. They were joined by the priests of the parish, Father Michael O'Mara and Father Oscar Rivas, as well as Father Christopher Iwancio, OFM Cap, the chaplain of Modern Catholic Pilgrim.

In his homily, Father Landry preached about the themes of the readings of the day — love and selfishness, welcome and rejection — in Jesus' instructions to the apostles about mission and in Isaiah's words calling the people of his day like those of Sodom and Gomorrah for their abusing rather than welcoming those sent by God. The themes are highly relevant to the National Eucharistic Revival, he said, as well as to how we relate Jesus in the Eucharist.

Jesus said in the Gospel that to be his worthy disciple we must love him more than our family members and even our own life. Father Landry asked, "Do we love Jesus that much?" Jesus also focused on the theme of welcoming, saying whoever welcomes his disciples, or gives them a cup of cold water, welcomes him and God the Father. We're called first to welcome Jesus, then to welcome those whom he sends as his ambassadors, then to welcome Jesus' teachings and all others. The Church is supposed to be that great center of welcome.

Many refuse to welcome and to love those who welcome and love Jesus more than they do, Father Landry stated, and this is the source of the type of division within families that Jesus prophesies. When one loves Jesus with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength, others who desire primacy can get jealous, Landry stated.

He urged everyone to follow the example of St. Bonaventure, the 750th anniversary of whose death and birth into eternal life the Church was celebrating today. He once didn't welcome the Lord Jesus as a young boy because he was too focused on his own sins, but after he was cured of his scruples, Landry stated, he became a doctor of the Church leading many others to the Divine Physician. He urged us to welcome Jesus in the Eucharist not just "physically" on our tongue, but also "spiritually," meaning as Jesus intends, which involves his wanting to make us one body, one spirit in Christ, welcoming others.

After Mass, there was a three-mile Eucharistic Procession in which about 60 people participated, from Holy Spirit Church (starting at the CVS Parking Lot on 10th and Arlington) to St. Philip Neri Church, where there was Eucharistic adoration throughout the afternoon into the evening.

During the afternoon, the Seton Route pilgrims cleaned their van and their trailer in anticipation of the formal end of the journey the following day. They also continued the interviews that are part of a joint book project.

In the evening, at St. Philip Neri Church, the pilgrims led a Eucharist Holy Hour in which Father Landry preached in Spanish and in English and pilgrim Amayrani Higueldo gave a testimony in Spanish.

In his Spanish fervorino, Father Landry spoke about St. Philip Neri's Echaristic Revival in 16th Century Rome, through the way he celebrated Mass, through his awe for Jesus in the Eucharist and leading adoration through inventing the 40 hours devotions, through his founding the little Oratory better to pass on the faith, and through regularly inviting people, even strangers, to begin to do good, which always involved living with Christ's Eucharistic charity. All four are relevant to the National Eucharistic Revival, Father Landry emphasized, as the Revival seeks to reinvigorate worship, promote the personal encounter with Jesus in Eucharistic adoration and prayer, pass on the faith with precision and fire, and invite people one-by-one to come to Jesus.

In the English homily he gave, Landry talked about the National Eucharistic Revival and how the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and National Eucharistic Congress are not just supposed to be spectacular high points, but ways of life for the Church in every age. The "pilgrim Church on earth" is perpetually supposed to be journeying with the Eucharistic Jesus, but journeying toward an earthly, and an eternal, "Congress," a coming together, which is lived every day at Mass and especially every Sunday. The word for Church in Greek is ekklesia, or those who have been called out of where they are to be together as an assembly, and this is something that Jesus wishes to do in the Eucharist as he makes us one body, one spirit in Christ, in answer to his prayer during the Last Supper for us to be one as he and God the Father are one.

In her Spanish reflections, Amarayni Higueldo spoke about various encounters she's had over the course of the pilgrimage with people of faith that have helped her grow in Eucharistic faith and love.

At the end of the Holy Hour, Father Landry imparted Eucharistic benediction and then the parish hosted a dinner for all those in attendance.