March 11, 2026 - National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Celebrates 250th Founding of America
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Archbishop Richard Henning announced today that the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) will arrive in Boston June 26-28, 2026.
With the theme “One Nation Under God”, the pilgrimage celebrates our nation’s 250th year with an invitation to build unity through prayer, and to let Jesus, present in the Eucharist, renew and heal the heart of our country, one soul at a time (NEP). The pilgrimage will travel the eastern seaboard of the United States beginning in St. Augustine, Florida and concluding in Philadelphia, PA.
The Archbishop said, “The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is a blessing at a critical moment in the life of our nation. The Church, through this pilgrimage, is a resource of prayer and adoration. We will join in prayer and Eucharistic adoration and we pray that Jesus truly present in the Eucharist may renew the heart of our country.”
From Memorial Day 2026 through July 5, the Pilgrimage will include daily Mass, walking processions, Eucharistic adoration, witness talks and service projects. The pilgrimage will pass through most of the thirteen original colonies with stops in eighteen dioceses. Pilgrims will carry the Blessed Sacrament along the route, engaging Catholics in each community.
The NEP notes that: The pilgrimage begins over Memorial Day weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, where the first Mass in our country was celebrated at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine at Mission de Nombres. The route will continue up the Eastern Seaboard through most of the thirteen original colonies, reaching as far north as New Hampshire and Maine. Stops will be made in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, our country’s very first Catholic diocese, as well as the Archdiocese of Boston to visit significant national historical sites. The pilgrimage concludes over the 4th of July weekend in Philadelphia, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Boston Visit
The Archdiocese is finalizing the locations during the June 26-28 visit. All of the locations will have historical significance in the founding of our country. Among the expected stops will include Plymouth, Charlestown, and Lexington. A procession will take place from a centralized gathering place in Boston to Charlestown. A vigil Mass is being planned on Saturday, June 27 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Check back over the weeks ahead to learn the exact locations, times and dates for the Pilgrimage. To learn more and for updates, visit www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org.
Into the Deep 2027
Inspired by the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, in 2025 Archbishop Richard Henning sought to create an experience of encounter with the Eucharist for the people of the Archdiocese of Boston through Into the Deep. When it became known that the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage would include eastern Massachusetts, the decision was made to hold the next Into the Deep encounter in 2027 along the coast of the South Shore in Massachusetts. To stay informed about Into the Deep 2027, click here.
Archbishop Henning invites all those originally intending to participate in Into the Deep 2026 to join the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as it passes through several historic locations in our archdiocese this summer. He looks forward to making his way down the coast of the South Shore in 2027!