WILMINGTON – The Diocese of Wilmington will hold its annual Marian Pilgrimage on Saturday, Oct. 3. This year, the event will be online only due to the coronavirus pandemic. The theme for this year’s event that brings Catholics from all over Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore together to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, is “Mary, Mother of All Nations.”
The day will begin at 8 a.m. with a Mass from St. Jude the Apostle Church in Lewes with Father Brian Lewis, pastor of Saint Jude and coordinator of the Marian Pilgrimage, presiding. The Mass will be seen on the popular “Godcast with Father Lewis” YouTube Channel.
In keeping with the theme, videos produced by local Catholics highlighting how Mary is honored by various cultures throughout the world, will debut at various times during the day on the diocesan YouTube Channel. Additionally, pilgrims are encouraged to pray the Rosary and other Marian devotions on their own.
The online pilgrimage will conclude with the 4 p.m. Mass from the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington with Bishop Malooly presiding. That Mass will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Wilmington’s YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/DioceseOfWilm.
All of the videos and events can be seen on YouTube and at www.cdow.org/Mary.
“Before His Crucifixion, Jesus prays to the Father that we might be one as He and the Father are one,” said Father Lewis. “In a world that prefers division to unity, and particularly at such a time of political, social and racial divisiveness in our own nation, we gather for this year’s Pilgrimage under the protective mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of All Nations to promote harmony, justice, and oneness so that we might be Christ-like to all and live the words St. Paul writes to the Ephesians: that ‘with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.’” (4:2-6)
The pilgrimage was originally scheduled to be held at the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace at Holy Spirit Church in New Castle. It was changed to an online pilgrimage due to the potential health risk posed by COVID-19.
More information is available at www.cdow.org/mary and www.facebook.com/cdowmarianpilgrimage.
