GEORGETOWN – The heat and crushing humidity were a challenge, but hundreds of faithful Catholics made their way to Sussex County for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as it made its third stop in the Diocese of Wilmington, and its first in Delaware.
Bishop Koenig arrived in the late afternoon at St. Michael the Archangel Church, along with a team from the diocese and the perpetual pilgrims who have been with the Eucharist since the pilgrimage started in St. Augustine, Fla. There, a bilingual crowd awaited the monstrance and the activities scheduled for the evening.
As a Hispanic band played and sang, the pilgrimage made its way around the block surrounding St. Michael the Archangel. A Georgetown police cruiser escorted the throng along Edward Street to Front, then to James Street and finally Robinson. Bishop Koenig carried the monstrance under a canopy held by altar servers from the parish. Others carried a banner announcing the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, and several priests and seminarians processed with the faithful. Many cell phones were out during the procession, capturing the event for future viewing.
Before the procession began, Paul Woodland of Milton talked about why he attended.
“I have a home in St. Augustine, and that is where this pilgrimage originated,” said Woodland, a member of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Lewes. “I’ve been to the area where the pilgrimage started, and it’s absolutely the most peaceful place that I’ve ever been.
“To be able to come over and see it on the second leg of its journey is incredible. And hopefully I can see it in Philadelphia when it finishes.”
Vanessa Ortiz of Georgetown, a catechist at St. Michael the Archangel, said the pilgrimage is “a special time for us to adore Christ our Lord. It’s not something that happens on a day-to-day basis. This is going to happen once in a lifetime, or maybe a couple of times, so that’s why I came out.”
She didn’t know what to expect and had no expectations.
“I think the main thing is adoring Christ our Lord. I think a lot of people are coming out because of their faith. It’s a good time to come together just to bond and adore our Lord.”
Sue Howarth, a parishioner at St. Jude the Apostle, said the pilgrimage needs the support of rank-and-file Catholics.
“It’s something that needs our support. If we can’t proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ to people in the area, then we shouldn’t be calling ourselves Catholic,” she said.
She added that she “loved the band and the singers. It added a lot to the procession. It’s always beautiful.”
Seats in the air-conditioned church for a Mass celebrated primarily in Spanish went fast. Father Glenn Evers, pastor of St. Joseph Church on French Street in Wilmington presided, and Father Carlos Ochoa of St. John the Baptist/Holy Angels Parish in Newark delivered the homily.
Father Evers reassured the English speakers in the pews not to worry if they didn’t understand all of the words they would hear during the Mass.
“God speaks to everyone,” Father Evers said in English. “God loves all of us.”
He noted that 18 dioceses in the United States would be part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, and he was grateful that the Diocese of Wilmington was one of them.
Bishop Koenig offered thanks to many people at the end of Mass, including the folks at St. Michael the Archangel for welcoming people from several parishes; the musicians who accompanied the procession.
After Mass, Dawn Zimmerman of Bethany Beach said it was heartwarming to see people from different parishes, ages and cultures come together for the event.
“You can see there’s a lot of parishes participating, and there’s a lot of young people,” said Zimmerman, who attends St. Ann in Bethany Beach. “I love it. It connects communities, and now it connects states. I love it when it’s that big and bold and loud.”
Her friend and fellow parishioner Mary Gray had thought about attending the June 12 morning service in Ocean City, Md., but traveled to Georgetown instead because there was a Mass included on the schedule.
“It was amazing, and I’m very glad that we came,” Gray said. “I’m glad I was a part of it.”
The pilgrimage continues Friday morning in Ocean City with a procession on the boardwalk to Holy Savior Church for benediction. It then travels to Wilmington for Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter Cathedral before departing by boat from the Wilmington riverfront for the Diocese of Camden, N.J.
Photos by Don Blake and Mike Lang.
