June 20, 2026

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ‘Ignite’ event draws more than 600 to the cathedral

REGIONAL
By Michael Pedro

More than 600 people filled St. Michael’s Cathedral June 18 for the “Ignite” event. (IObserve photo)

SPRINGFIELD – After a visit in Stockbridge, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage pulled into St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield, Thursday, June 18 for the “Ignite” event. Nine young adults, or perpetual pilgrims, are traveling by van up the East Coast, stopping in many of the 13 original colonies. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which visited the Diocese of Springfield June 18-20, is in honor of the 250^th birthday of the founding of the United States. A spiritual journey, it began on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, in St. Augustine, Florida, near the site where the first Catholic Mass was celebrated in what later would become the United States.

More than 600 people filled the cathedral for a eucharistic adoration, testimonies and music and the rosary recited in multiple languages. The event, initially planned to be in Springfield’s Forest Park, was pushed to St. Michael’s Cathedral due to rain.

Each parish represented showcased the diversity of the diocese, with songs sung in Portuguese, Vietnamese, Swahili, and Creole. Testimonies given over the course of the night were in both English and Spanish. One testimony was given by Jaime Rivera, a parishioner of St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke. He, along with a translator, gave a testimony in both Spanish and English. In his testimony, he revealed how a retreat led him to make his relationship with Jesus closer, ultimately following his wife into the Catholic church. 

“I left the retreat filled with the love of God, and began to attend the Catholic Church with my family,” Rivera said. His 19-year old son, also named Jamie, was an altar server for the evening and is a former member of the Diocesan Youth Leadership Team.

The pilgrims making the pilgrimage are from all across the country. Eddie Gutierrez, from Arizona, said he loved the event.

“I like seeing multiple cultures come together, it’s beautiful… we’re all coming together for the universal church. And that’s what it’s about. It’s all about seeing Jesus Christ in the Eucharist,” Gutierrez said.

Marycarmen Zakrajsek, a pilgrim from Indiana, had similar sentiments to Gutierrez.

“It’s really a way to invite the surrounding community to come into a shared act of worship, to adore Him with our voices, [and] to hear the different choirs praise Him in their native language…” Zakrajsek said.

The pilgrimage continued its journey through the diocese throughout the remainder of the week, culminating on Saturday with a closing Mass at Thomas Aquinas College in Northfield.