June 21, 2026

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage visits Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Kathleen Harrington

SPRINGFIELD- Friday morning, June 19, dawned bright and cool for day two of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Processing out of St. Michael’s Cathedral, the monstrance was carefully packed away and the pilgrims piled into their van for the short ride to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Springfield’s South End. 

Clergy, staff and volunteers were busy all morning preparing the parish center to host the pilgrims and share the Italian heritage of the 119-year old parish. Entering the center, people were greeted with piles of clothing and personal items for the homeless. For weeks, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, along with the parishes of St. Elizabeth in Ludlow, St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham, St. Catherine of Siena and Mary, Mother of Hope in Springfield have collected materials for distribution to donation and items needed for their St. Frances Cabrini Outreach.

Welcoming the pilgrims, parishioners offered drinks and pastries and shared the history of their parish. Soon, it was time to move into the church for eucharistic adoration. 

The Last Supper Gospel reading was shared as well as excerpts from Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te drafted by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo XIV about caring for the poor. Also during adoration, quotes from St. John Chrysostom and St. Frances Cabrini were read. Adoration came to a close and Stigmatine Father Robert White, Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata (CSS) called forth members of the Italian Youth group to hand out small loaves of bread for the faithful to take with them as they left the church.

“As you go forth into the world after Mass we are on a mission to bring the bread of life, the Body of Christ, to evangelize to the world and to share it,” Father White said. Reminding all that on the road to Emmaus, the apostles recognized the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread.

The perpetual pilgrims processed out of the church with the Blessed Sacrament and reverently secured the monstrance in the van. They soon were off to their next destination, St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Basilica in Chicopee.    

Watch for an upcoming story on  “Real to Reel,” the weekly newsmagazine that airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.