From St. Augustine to Philadelphia: Maria Benes on the 2026 Eucharistic Pilgrimage - 07/14/2026

Maria Benes, director of pilgrimages for the National Eucharistic Congress, sits down just after wrapping the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a months-long journey timed to the 250th anniversary of the United States. The route began at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine in the Diocese of St. Augustine — near the site of the first documented Mass in the country — and traveled north through the original colonies, including a Eucharistic procession along Boston's Freedom Trail and a special blessing of the nation near the Washington Monument over Corpus Christi weekend, before concluding over Fourth of July weekend in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, even sent a video address ahead of the closing Mass on July 5. Maria traces the pilgrimage's roots back to the USCCB's three-year National Eucharistic Revival and the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, and shares a story of young adults encountering the Eucharistic procession on a boardwalk in Ocean City and recommitting their lives to Christ. She also looks ahead: applications for the next class of "perpetual pilgrims" (ages 19–29) open in the coming weeks, with the next National Eucharistic Congress planned for 2029. Learn more or apply: eucharisticpilgrimage.org Perpetual Pilgrim application info: eucharisticpilgrimage.org/perpetual-pilgrim-application Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on the Catholic Radio Network, IowaCatholicRadio.com, or the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #CatholicPodcast #NationalEucharisticPilgrimage #Eucharist #RealPresence #CatholicFaith #AmericanCatholic #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #OneNationUnderGod #EucharisticRevival Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.