Making the best of it at the youth cross pilgrimage in Wilmington — A day in photos

Circumstances prevented it from having its usual backdrop, but sunshine prevailed Saturday April 9 and the Catholic Youth Ministries youth cross pilgrimage made its return after a three-year, pandemic-induced hiatus in the Diocese of Wilmington.

Diocese officials were informed less than 24 hours before the pilgrimage was set to kick off that the traditional four-mile route through the city would not be conducted as usual due to a lack of city police coverage.

Still, hundreds of kids and adults gathered and made the best of it.

So instead of beginning and ending at St. Elizabeth, with stops at St. Francis Hospital, St. Anthony of Padua Church, Padua Academy, St. Paul Church and St. Hedwig Church in between, the day and its events all occurred on the campus of St. Elizabeth Parish and at neighboring Canby Park.

“For safety and security, we are not walking on the sidelwalks. We’re just going to stay on the St. E’s campus and around Canby Park,” said Dan Pin, the director of Catholic Youth Ministry.

Messages left Saturday with Robert Tracy, the chief of the Wilmington Police Department, and Tom Ogden, the chief of staff for Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, were not immediately returned.