‘You’re now a tabernacle’ carrying the body of Christ: National Eucharistic Pilgrimage leaves a lasting impression in Davenport Diocese

By Barb Arland-Fye, Anne Marie Amacher and Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

(Photo gallery at end of article)

Jesus, present under the form of the Eucharist, arrived in a boat in the Diocese of Davenport and left in a van during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is carrying the Blessed Sacrament from Indianapolis to Los Angeles to engage the Church’s universality.

As daily Mass concluded at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Davenport May 23, the final stop on the Davenport Diocese’s stage of the pilgrimage, Father Michael Herlihey, OFM, Cap., shared a memorable message with the congregation.

“We’re carrying Jesus in a van,” Father Herlihey began. “It’s amazing to see how a van became a tabernacle, how a helicopter (in the Peoria, Illinois Diocese) became a tabernacle, how a boat became a tabernacle (in Burlington, Iowa). All of these means of transportation were literally carrying Jesus in the Eucharist.”

Related: What’s next after the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage? 

The challenge on this pilgrimage (May 18-June 22) is that “we can’t get everywhere. We can get to only so many churches, so many homes,” the Capuchin priest said. “Jesus can’t get everywhere,” but “when I look out (at you) I see a couple of hundred tabernacles. You’re the means of transportation now for the Lord. Two minutes ago, you just received Jesus and you’re now a tabernacle.”

“We can’t go to your homes right now, we can’t go to your workplaces, but you can… let’s go out from here in church … and let’s shine as brightly as that monstrance is shining so that people say, ‘Where does your joy come from? Where does your generosity come from? Where is your love coming from?  You’re different.’ And, we can be brave and say, ‘Because I have Jesus dwelling in me, because I have received Eucharist.’”

Here are the places, the experiences where people encountered Jesus on pilgrimage:

Burlington/West Burlington

A boat traveled across the Mississippi River to Burlington May 21, carrying Catholic perpetual pilgrims and a bishop holding a monstrance containing the precious body of Jesus. When they arrived at Bluff Harbor Marina, Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and the pilgrims disembarked. Bishop Tylka transferred the monstrance to Bishop Dennis Walsh of the Diocese of Davenport.

Bishop Walsh and diocesan priests carried the monstrance on the mile-long procession from the harbor to St. Paul Catholic Church of Divine Mercy Parish of Burlington-West Burlington. Deacon Gary Johnson, who serves the parish, guided the procession by bicycle.

Bishop Walsh placed the monstrance on the altar inside the church as the congregation sang “O Saving Victim.” Deacon Frank Agnoli, the Davenport Diocese’s director of Liturgy, read from the Memoirs of the Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, a 19th century missionary priest and church builder in the diocese. After the prayer service, the pilgrimage made a 3.6-mile journey to Ss. Mary & Patrick Church in West Burlington for Mass.

Until this point, the processions in other dioceses were brief, perpetual pilgrim Arthur (“Ace”) Acuña said. This 3.6-mile procession “was definitely tough, but in a beautiful way. We had pain in the feet, the physical aspects of pilgrimage, and it brought out the spiritual aspects of pilgrimage, seeing how God uses the struggles, the messiness, for good.”

Carol Orth of Divine Mercy Parish appreciated the opportunity to walk with the perpetual pilgrims and described the event as amazing. Fellow parishioner Cathy Rucker hopes for more events like this one to share the Catholic faith with others.

Perpetual pilgrim Leslie Reyes-Hernandez grabbed a sign from the pilgrimage van that read, “Honk if you love Jesus.” She jumped with joy for Jesus, holding the sign high above her head and facing traffic from the sidewalk. Some drivers honked in appreciation. “We are sharing the Good News,” Leslie said.

Some passersby stopped to take pictures of the procession. One participant at the events drove, stopping her car several times to kneel down before the Blessed Sac­rament. At a major intersection, participants waited as police turned the traffic lights to red and blocked oncoming traffic with their vehicles. “Isn’t it nice that Jesus stops traffic,” a participant said. A woman and her daughter crossed the road to tell the group, “Jesus appreciates what you are doing.”

Arriving at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church in West Burlington, the group processed to the grotto for benediction and reposition of the Blessed Sacrament and processed silently into church for Mass with Bishop Walsh. Mary Capper of St. James Parish in Washington and her husband drove to West Burlington because their work schedules conflicted with the morning event in Washington the following day. “This was the first time we heard Bishop Walsh,” Mary said, adding, “We have been fed in so many ways.”

“This was so special. Jesus came across the river and we met our new bishop,” said John Champagne of Divine Mercy Parish, who participated in the Burlington-West Burlington events with his wife.

Mount Pleasant

St. Alphonsus Parish hosted a holy hour with Night Prayer May 21. The weeknight event drew as many people as a typical Sunday Mass, parishioner Janet Smith said. “The Eucharist is the heart of Christ and the heart of being Catholic,” she said, encouraged by the participation of so many young people. She and her husband, David, hosted three of the eight perpetual pilgrims overnight. As the trio left the next morning, they asked the couple, “Is there something weighing on your heart that you would ask us to pray for?” Janet’s eyes filled with tears as she recalled the thoughtful gesture. The couple is grieving the loss of their son Jared, who died at age 30 in November after a lifelong battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Janet’s brother, Jim McMillan, died from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in November. “It’s been really hard for my 91-year-old father. (The pilgrims) are going to pray for my dad,” she said. “We thought we were serving them, but they were serving us.”

Washington

During morning Mass at St. James Catholic Church in Washington May 22, perpetual pilgrim Leslie said the parish’s Catholic school students expressed “joy and reverence toward the Lord that was very pure and encouraging for everyone.” As students took turns reading the verses of the responsorial psalm, others held a banner with the response, “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.” Leslie felt moved to pray later, “How can we be childlike with God?”

Parish Secretary Genoveva Diaz said she felt the warmth of the pilgrims’ friendliness toward the children during Mass and the joy of the two priests and religious brother accompanying the pilgrims. “You could tell how much love they have for Jesus.” During recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, “the sun came out. You could see the sun coming in to the altar. I thought, ‘wait a minute,’ it was cloudy,” she said.

Riverside

About 75 faithful kneeled before the Blessed Sacrament in St. Mary Church as Riverside’s noon siren wailed. The group followed Father Bill Roush, the pastor, as he carried the monstrance outside into a mist that settled beneath the overcast skies. “The weather is not bad; cold, but not bad, could be worse,” said Margaret Marie of St. James Parish in Washington. “This procession is really special, having this many people come and walk with Jesus across the country.”

Mariana Salaverria of St. Pius X Parish in Rock Island, Illinois walked arm in arm with Diane VanDuzen of Divine Mercy Parish as the group set foot on the Old River Walking Trail, surrounded by farmland. VanDuzen planned to participate all three days, walking stick in hand. “This is a once in a lifetime event,” she said. The women participated in the National Eucharistic Congress together last year. Seeing each other this year was a surprise.

The procession stopped twice for prayer during the 1.7-mile walk. Jo Weidner of St. James-Washington traveled by foot and by golf cart. “Spending time with Jesus is a good thing in my life,” said Weidner, who regularly participates in eucharistic adoration at her parish. Earlier in the day, she celebrated Mass in Washington.

In Riverside, the pilgrimage concluded at St. Francis Veterinary Clinic, which veterinarian Greg Schnoebelen closed to accommodate the participants. He is a member of Holy Family Parish of Riverside, Richmond and Wellman. Brother Matthew (Nick) Marie, OSB, of Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri, was in Washington, his hometown, to visit family. “I’m thankful to be back for this,” he said after completing the Riverside walk. “It can be sad to look at the state of people leaving the faith, yet events like this can help inspire faith again… it’s a good way to evangelize.”

Iowa City

St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City hosted adoration and a brief procession May 22. Young families with strollers and baby carriers, individuals using wheelchairs, and a seeing-eye dog processed around parish property. The sun came out as they walked. “It’s such a beautiful day,” said Sofia Livorsi, the parish’s director of youth groups. “People just seem joyful.”

The natural beauty surrounding the parish inspired perpetual pilgrim Ace, who described this place as “heaven meeting earth.” He loved “bringing Jesus into the quiet of a field. Creation is witnessing their Creator come to them and bless the land.” Ace recalled another picturesque scene, watching people on the shore in Burlington waiting for the Blessed Sacrament to arrive by boat. It reminded him of the crowds waiting on shore for Jesus.

St. Pat’s parishioner and choir member Trinidad Cossio lifted her arm in praise as the perpetual pilgrims sang worship music in her native language, Spanish. “Music can help you feel God’s love,” she said, noting that the bilingual liturgy and music was a pleasant surprise.

Ninth-grader Saul Aranday was driven to St. Pat’s after school to assist with the procession and liturgy.  “I was thinking about it all day,” he said. “The Holy Spirit is truly present in this moment.”

Davenport

Squeezing in a half-hour between dinner and Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers in Sacred Heart Cathedral May 22, perpetual pilgrims Ace and Leslie reflected briefly on their pilgrimage. Both of them are first-time perpetual pilgrims. Leslie is a public high school teacher in Phoenix and Ace, a Princeton University alumnus preparing to enter graduate school.

They reflect daily on their journey, individually and as a group. “After we leave each diocese, we pray a rosary of thanksgiving,” Leslie said. On each bead, the group offers a prayer of thanksgiving, 50 expressions of thanks, collectively. “We see all the graces, all the things we’re grateful for and the way the Lord is working on this pilgrimage,” Leslie said. “Life is a pilgrimage to heaven,” Ace added.

“We live in a hurting world,” Leslie said. “I sometimes see myself in others. Perhaps I was struggling with (something similar) in my life. There’s always a sense of hope. We’re just planting seeds. I think that can be done through joy.”

Ace revels in the physicality and spirituality of the pilgrimage and the beauty of the experience in rural Iowa. On this pilgrimage, “There are people expecting Jesus to come, and people not expecting Jesus to come, and this pilgrimage is for both of them.”

In his homily that evening, Bishop Walsh reflected on the sacrifice of Christ — “suffering as understood in the context of love…. Without love, the suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord makes no sense,” he said, “but placed in the context of love, it changes everything. ‘See what love the Father has for us.’”

Bishop Walsh recalled seeing the movie “The Passion of the Christ” with his father, whose eyes filled with tears after viewing the graphic scenes of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. “When we realize that Christ suffered and died for us, it is a profound experience of the love of God for us,” the bishop said. “Every Eucharist points us to the cross, but also points us to the future, that celestial banquet. … As we come to this moment of encounter with the Lord in adoration, it points to the dynamic celebration of the Eucharist at every Mass. May it always empower us to live lives worthy of this immense sacrifice and love.”

 Ministering to the hungry

In the courtyard outside the area where people pick up a free meal at McAnthony Window in Davenport, Brother Jan Cyril Vanek, CFR, and perpetual pilgrim Leslie prayed for a lean man wearing army fatigues and a baseball cap. It was May 23, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s final stop in the Davenport Diocese. They had spent the morning in prayer and ministering to people in need at the window, a ministry of St. Anthony Parish. A service project debriefing, Mass and lunch rounded out the first half of their day before heading to the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

A man who described himself as an evangelist told Brother Jan and Leslie, “The heavenly Father asked me to pray for you.” They welcomed the prayer. The evangelist asked, “What church are you from?” “The Catholic Church,” Brother Jan replied. “We’re bringing Jesus from Indianapolis to LA.”

John Cooper, St. Anthony Parish’s pastoral associate and business manager who oversees McAnthony Window, expressed delight at what he had witnessed. He told the pilgrims during their debriefing, “What you did talking to people, meeting them where they are at — you took the body of Christ to people. We are the body of Christ, walking monstrances.” One of pilgrims asked, “How do you avoid compassion fatigue?” John replied, “When I see people ministering to others — that gives me hope.”

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