The Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage continues this week, transitioning from its origin in Minnesota through a variety of rural towns and villages in Wisconsin.
Part of the reason it is called the "Marian Route" is that this route of the Eucharistic Pilgrimage is visiting a number of Marian sites in the Midwest, including the site of the only approved Marian apparition in the United States.
It includes a stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians in Hubertus, Wisconsin, and the only locally approved Marian apparition site in the United States, Our Lady of Champion, near Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Additional Marian stops along the way include a visit to University of St. Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary) in Illinois and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Across the mighty Mississippi
As part of the pilgrimage, Bishop Robert Barron, currently the bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, led a large group of pilgrims over the Cameron Street Bridge into La Crosse, Wisconsin. Canopy bearers were members of the Federation of North American Explorers.
Bishop Barron then handed off the monstrance to Bishop Gerard Battersby, the newly appointed bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The procession was then led to a local event center, where a Eucharistic rally was held, featuring a full schedule of speakers such as Chris Stefanic, and Immaculée Ilibagiza, with music by Luke Spehar.
Bishop Barron also gave the homily at the opening Mass of the rally, where some 3,000 pilgrims attended.
The answer
The rally was called "The Answer," and it was framed with the theme: "Your whole life, you have been looking for the answer to the meaning of life, your purpose, your dreams, and your difficulties. We have been given the ANSWER to all of it" -- the Eucharist, Jesus himself.
After the rally was concluded, the Eucharistic Pilgrimage was scheduled to continue throughout the state of Wisconsin, visiting a variety of small towns and villages on the way to the shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Green Bay.
Among the stops was a visit to the grave of Blessed James Miller, a member of the Christian Brothers who was martyred in Guatemala in 1982.
The Marian Route will conclude when it reaches Indianapolis, where the National Eucharistic Congress will be held in July.
