The Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage officially begins with the Vigil Mass of Pentecost to be celebrated by Archbishop Christopher Coyne of Hartford at St. Mary's Church in New Haven at 4 pm on May 18.
A few hours before the official launch, Fr. Roger Landry, a priest on the Seton Route for the 65-day journey, will give an address at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center in New Haven on "The Christian Life as a Eucharistic Pilgrimage." The event is free and open to the public.
After Father Landry's 1 pm address, those pilgrims who will be making the journey to Indianapolis will all be introduced to those present and then the support van that will accompany the pilgrims along their sacred trek will be blessed and the McGivney Pilgrimage Center will host a reception for all those present.
On May 16, Father Landry and Natalie Garza, the Seton Route coordinator, visited the McGivney Pilgrimage Center where the support vehicle is to begin to work with Peter Sonski, Director of Education and Otreach at the Center, to get it ready for its journey.
Since Natalie had never been to the McGivney Pilgrimage Center before, she asked Peter if she and Fr. Landry might have a tour.
Peter began the tour by taking them to a new exhibition at the Center, "Do This In Memory of Me," a national Sacred Art Exhibit, curated by the St. Edmund's Sacred Art Institute, which recently sponsored an art competition dedicated to the Eucharistic Revival. The exhibition featured some of the many submissions.
Some of the works will be brought to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress taking place July 17-21, 2024 in Indianapolis. It was done in collaboration with the Congress and inspired by the Catholic Church's counter-Reformation strategy for winning back the previously faithful through beautiful artwork.
As the official flier for the exhibition describes, "Just as daring painters and sculptors of previous centuries designed and created paintings, sculptures, sacred vessels, altar pieces and buildings to fortify the laity's faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, so it is the hope now [to use art] … to gloriously communicate Christ's Real Presience in the Eucharist."
The exhibit will run from May 11 through August 25, 2024 at the McGivney Pilgrimage Center (1 State Street, New Haven, CT, 06511), which is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.
Father Landry said he was "blown away" by the exhibit.
"I've always loved sacred art and am like a boy in a candy store when I visit great museums and churches to see how God has inspired arts to depict sacred figures and scenes. This exhibit features new works that could easily find their place in the most beautiful churches and great museums of the world," he said.
He said he would encourage those who are preparing to come to his talk, which he says is a "prelude" to the Mass launching the pilgrimage, to arrive early or stay late and take in the exhibition.
The Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center also has permanent exhibitions on the life of Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, on the history of the Knights of Columbus, and on the close relationship between the Knights of Columbus, the Pope and the Holy See.
Below are several photos from the exhibition.
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