Galveston-Houston embraces National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in prayer and procession

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston elevates the Eucharist in the monstrance during a Eucharistic Pilgrimage from St. Mary Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church in Galveston as part of the St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage on Corpus Christi Sunday June 2, 2024. (James Ramos/Texas Catholic Herald)

GALVESTON — Slowly moving under billowing palm, oak and magnolia trees, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo lifted high the monstrance with the Eucharist as he processed in front of a crowd of more than a thousand from St. Mary Cathedral Basilica to Sacred Heart Church in Galveston.

In an epic celebration of both Corpus Christi Sunday and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the June 2 procession was the culmination of a series of events in the Archdiocese that drew thousands of Catholics from Houston and all over the world — some coming from as far as Canada and New York — turned out to celebrate and embrace Jesus in the Eucharist. Throughout the four-day visit, families with children, men and women religious, couples and people from a cross-section of Galveston-Houston's diverse faith communities turned out to encounter the pilgrimage. 

The St. Juan Diego Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began its journey to Indianapolis at the Texas border city of Brownsville, arrived in the Archdiocese on May 30 when St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land welcomed the pilgrimage group for an evening of prayer, testimony and Eucharistic Adoration.

PHOTOS: Eucharistic Pilgrimage visits Galveston-Houston

Visitors heard several testimonies from local parishioners and members of the six perpetual pilgrims, a group of young adults who walked and followed the Pilgrimage all the way from Brownsville to Indianapolis, where the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress will be held in July.

For Camille Anigbogu, the visit to Archdiocese was a homecoming filled with faith, family and loved ones. The University of Houston and Incarnate Word Academy graduate is a Houstonian herself, proudly welcoming her fellow perpetual pilgrims to the Bayou City.

In Sugar Land, her family attended both events with her. They eagerly followed her journey on social media as she made her way towards Houston. Finally together with their daughter at St. Laurence, her parents, Monica and John Anigbogu, were glowing.

Throughout the weekend, Anigbogu saw several friends and even former teachers, often unexpectedly, eliciting surprised hugs and greetings.

“I’m so glad to be back in Houston,” Anigbogu said. “It reminds me of where I’m coming from and all of the people who have sacrificed and loved me over the years. I’m really glad that I’m getting to take that with me across the U.S. with my fellow Juan Diego route teammates and all the people who I’m going to encounter, all the Houston love.”
Joining the pilgrims are a group of friars and priests of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

“The Church is alive,” said Brother Agustin, one of the Franciscans. “Our Lady was with us tonight worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist; the Church is truly alive. The Holy Spirit is just moving.”

At one point during Adoration, Brother Agustin saw a young toddler run around the pew to see a deacon carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a procession. The Franciscan saw her face of awe and curiosity towards the monstrance and beamed as she saw that Jesus was coming her way.

Brother Agustin saw that moment as a reflection of the Christian’s journey.

“Every single one of the people here was just yearning to touch Jesus,” he said. “I’ve never seen something like this before, right? So the yearning to touch Jesus... This is why I say Mary’s with us; because Mary is always with Jesus, and she’s inviting us to be like her, just stay with Jesus... to be close to Jesus.”

After leaving St. Laurence on May 31, when storms rocked the Archdiocese, forcing the cancellation of an outdoor procession in Sugar Land, the Pilgrimage traveled to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston, where a Mass and Eucharistic Adoration was held.

The next morning, the pilgrims also attended the priesthood ordination Mass on June 1. Issy Martin-Dye, one of the perpetual pilgrims, had never attended one before and found the experience moving. “I haven’t even been to a big wedding either, and this was just like that; it was beautiful,” Martin-Dye said.

Then, in the afternoon, the pilgrims attended a young adult event at the University of St. Thomas that included a series of talks and testimonies given by the pilgrims, recreation and relaxation, as well as vespers, a Eucharistic procession around the campus and benediction.

Being with other young adults “made me feel very safe and comfortable,” Martin-Dye said. “These were my friends, my brothers and sisters. I enjoyed having the chance to relax and even play volleyball, which I love.”

The central Houston events also drew Eve Cox, a 19-year-old University of Dallas student from The Woodlands.

Though she’s not yet a baptized Catholic, the Eucharist and the Church’s teaching of the True Presence inspired her to pursue joining the Catholic Church when she’s back in college in the fall.

“The spiritual oneness of the Catholic Church inspired me,” Cox said. “The Eucharist unifies us and makes us one with the Father, just as [Jesus] is one with the Father. It’s really beautiful and makes so much sense to me.”

The pilgrim’s travel van includes a unique setup: a handcrafted wooden tabernacle holds the Blessed Sacrament when it’s reposed, and atop the tabernacle is a pedestal that can hold the monstrance. When the group travels for more than 30 minutes, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the pilgrims to be in continual prayer.

In Houston, they drove around the city for an hour with the Blessed Sacrament exposed, praying for the Archdiocese and the city.

On Saturday night, the group trekked down to Galveston Island and stayed at a beach house along the Gulf of Mexico. Martin-Dye said several of the pilgrims were able to jump into the water and swim.

On Sunday, June 2, the mother Church of Texas, St. Mary Cathedral Basilica, welcomed the pilgrim group for Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, presided over by Cardinal DiNardo. Following Mass, Cardinal DiNardo led the mile-long Eucharistic procession to Sacred Heart Church just off Broadway Avenue.

Though the heat and humidity were nearly unbearable, save for a Gulf breeze that occasionally blessed the procession, church officials estimated that more than 800 attended. The basilica was standing room only, with dozens more listening from outside the basilica.

Block by block, the procession moved amongst historical homes, with residents watching from their balconies and porches. The monstrance would pass between Cardinal DiNardo, a Franciscan priest, and ultimately Father Jude Ezuma, pastor of Holy Family Parish of Galveston and Bolivar.

Fifteen-year-old Francis Barrett carried the processional cross the whole way.

“It was really peaceful and beautiful to be walking here,” Barrett said. “The trees, the houses, hearing the people singing in the background, it was really nice.” Though the cross was heavy and his arms tired at several points, Barrett said he focused on praying and keeping the cross held high.

Following a meeting with Cardinal DiNardo, the pilgrims made for their maiden voyage on the Bolivar Ferry — a Galveston right of passage — headed for their final Texas stop in Beaumont before crossing the border into Louisiana, ultimately heading to Indianapolis.

To follow the pilgrim group as they head to the National Eucharistic Congress, visit www.archgh.org/pilgrimage24.