WILMINGTON — The 14th annual Catholic Youth Ministries pilgrimage through city streets April 12 was a real test of faith for the more than 500 young people and their adult leaders.
The loop that began and ended at St. Elizabeth Parish can be challenging in the best of conditions, but this group also dealt with unfavorable weather, although they did so admirably.
Following a concert by the Scally Brothers and opening remarks from Bishop Koenig at the St. E Center, the pilgrims started toward St. Francis Hospital in less-than-ideal conditions. Although the rain that had fallen steadily since early the day before (along with some snow flurries Saturday morning) had given way to a drizzle, the temperatures peaked only in the low 40s.
The group followed a familiar route. They stopped first at St. Francis Hospital, where the bishop led a litany of the saints for the patients and all sick people. Then it was on to St. Anthony Padua Church, where about a dozen priests heard confessions. The school gym also was the site of lunch.
Next up was Padua Academy for Stations of the Cross, then St. Paul’s Church for adoration. Finally, the group trekked back to St. Elizabeth, where they helped fill the church for Mass with Bishop Koenig.
Kieran Morrissey, a senior at Cape Henlopen High School and a member of the diocesan Youth Leadership Team, was making his second pilgrimage. He was impressed with the number of people who attended and that they came from all over the diocese.
“Overall, I think it’s a great showing,” Morrissey said. “There’s been kind of a downtick since COVID, but we’re getting back our numbers. It’s really an incredible experience.”
Olivia Justison, a senior at St. Elizabeth High School, was there with her softball teammates and other Vikings athletes. She said she hoped to connect more with her faith.
“I know everybody gives up something (for Lent), but I wanted to give back something,” she said.
Being out in the streets with so many people her age impressed her.
“It’s very powerful. Seeing the younger kids get so involved so early, it’s really nice to see,” Justison said.
Morrissey also liked being with others his age to practice his faith.
“It really shows how strong the Catholic faith is. A lot of people say it’s going on a downturn, but this proves that it’s really not. With the youth coming out in such great numbers, it’s an incredible thing to see,” he said.
Several Saint Mark’s High School seniors were on hand for a class retreat. One of them, Laura Coady, making her first pilgrimage, said she was “hoping to connect and build my relationship with God further as I finish out my high school journey.”
The stop at St. Anthony’s provided an opportunity to get out of the cold for a bit. Rebekah Pfirman, a junior at Holly Grove Christian School in Westover, Md., and a member of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Salisbury, Md., was on the road early to make the trip to Wilmington for her first pilgrimage. As she waited to go to confession, she talked about what the pilgrimage offered to her.
“It seemed like an opportunity to do a lot of things, like confession right now,” she said. “You don’t really get an opportunity where it’s right in your face, and I feel like that’s the best time to do it.
“It’s been really fun. Doing a litany by the hospital was really cool. This is stuff I’ve never done before. So, to do this for the first time has been really neat,” Pfirman said.
Father Jay McKee, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Perryville, Md., heard the confessions of a couple dozen teenagers and adult leaders. It is something he has done at the pilgrimage for the last nine years. Once that was done, he was headed back to Perryville for Mass, but he never minds making the trip.
“It’s an awesome privilege to celebrate the Lord’s reconciliation,” Father McKee said. “Especially with a young person. They’re opening their hearts and their souls as best they can to the one that they put their faith in. I’ve encouraged them all to walk closer with Jesus as we go through this holiest week of the year.”
Father McKee said the pilgrimage is “a tribute to our faith, the faith of the church, to bring witness to the residents they’re walking by.”
Pfirman said she does not go to confession that often, “but every time I do, it feels really good. It’s a weight off your shoulders. It feels like a wall broken down. It is something I should do more frequently.”
She said she was looking forward to seeing churches she had never been in before and, mostly, the Stations of the Cross.
“That’s one of my favorite things, especially around Easter time. I love it so much. It’s such a powerful reading. It’s so impactful,” she said.
Danny Juarez, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Marydel, Md., and a student at North Caroline High School, made his third pilgrimage. He was dressed for the weather, having gone through rain last year.
“I came prepared this year. The second year, I got wet, but that didn’t stop me,” he said.
Juarez said he likes the experience, saying “it helps me get closer to God.” The pilgrimage helps him get more involved with his church and community. The first year, he was there as a requirement to get confirmed, but he liked the day and has returned each year since.
As he stood outside St. Francis Hospital, Juarez surveyed the scene, with signs from each parish represented and a block of Clayton Street shut down as Bishop Koenig led the prayers.
“It makes me feel good knowing that young people are the future of the church,” he said. “I’m happy knowing there’s young people who still believe in God. That’s a good thing seeing people my age going to church getting closer to God.”
