Alumni Update!
As you have likely heard, the Catholic Church in the United States, both on the national and local Diocesan levels, has responded to a call to deepen the Eucharistic faith of Catholics and to bear witness to the life-changing truth of God made man, offering Himself up for us at the Crucifixion and daily in every Mass at every altar in the world.
St. Ambrose alumnus Jack Krebs (2020) has a unique role in this national grassroots movement: as one of 24 perpetual pilgrims accompanying our Lord in the Eucharist along the route that spans from San Francisco all the way to Indianapolis!
The National Eucharistic Revival includes a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage of four routes, with starting points across the United States on May 18 and all leading to the Eucharistic Congress from July 17-21 in Indianapolis.
This pilgrimage, according to the official website, promises to be a “life-changing journey both as an act of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and to witness publicly that Jesus is a King worth following.”
On his route, the Serra Route, Jack will be joined by five pilgrims, two seminarians, and a few priests with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal who will switch out along the route so that one is always accompanying the Blessed Sacrament.
They will kick off their journey with a Mass at the Cathedral in San Francisco on May 19, Pentecost Sunday. The Mass will be broadcast on EWTN and feature a 20-voice schola. After Mass, Abp. Cordileone will lead a solemn Eucharistic procession through the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge – an incredible witness in this city!
No Two Days Will Be The Same
Each day will look different for Jack’s group. They’ll begin each morning with Mass in the host parish where they’re staying. Local parishioners are hosting members of the group so they will encounter many Catholics and their kind hospitality throughout the two-month pilgrimage.
From there, the day will depend on what the local parish or Diocese has planned. Some have planned large events, Eucharistic Adoration in churches, talks, and more. Each day will include a ‘major procession’, which includes more of the robust hallmarks of many servers, candles, and incense. These will be along designated routes for about one mile each day.
Following the more robust ‘major procession’, the perpetual pilgrim group will shift into a ‘minor procession’ that is more simple. Some local Catholics may continue along with them, or it may be just the group of perpetual pilgrims who are permanently assigned to that route as they make their way to their next parish stop for the evening.
Jack’s route, the longest route of the four, requires significant mileage to reach the Congress on time. So the group has received special permission from the bishops to sometimes reserve the Eucharist in a specially built and permanently affixed altar inside a retrofitted van while driving parts of the route. This will allow the group to cover the distances needed from one stop to the next and to safely move through the Rocky Mountains, while still maintaining the reverent spirit of Eucharistic Adoration and praying with our Lord on this historic and prayer-filled journey through our nation.
The local landscape will also offer some unique transportation options. Jack shared that one particular Diocesan boundary will include transporting the pilgrimage team, the Blessed Sacrament, and others on a boat across Lake Tahoe with the Bishop of Sacramento, CA, who will be ‘handing off’ the pilgrimage to the Bishop of Reno, NV.
Jack is both looking forward to the big events in large cities like San Francisco and Denver, but “also being in some of the quieter areas that don’t perhaps get as much attention or have something like a big procession,” he shared.
Throughout their days, perpetual pilgrims will keep watch with our Lord, praying for the nation, our Church, their own personal intentions and for those others have shared, and for the people they meet along the way. They’ll also be in a unique position to encounter both Catholics and curious bystanders. Only the Lord knows what conversations, prayer, and shared experiences await the pilgrims, and the people from all walks of life who they’ll meet. Come, Holy Spirit!
Preparing for the Journey
During these months of preparation, Jack and his fellow pilgrims have been enjoying weekly Zoom meetings to get to know one another, learn about the logistics of the undertaking, and to prepare spiritually for this unique experience.
Lately, Jack shared that as he’s been preparing spiritually, he’s been reflecting on parts of Scripture, such as “this is my Body, given for you”. “It’s been setting in more and more, the power of what’s in front of me and the extraordinary opportunity I have every day to encounter the second Person of the Trinity, to meet the person of Jesus who we hear about in the Gospels, to be pursued by Him, and to receive him every day,” Jack said. “I really want to offer myself and this next month of preparation – and then the next two months of pilgrimage – to the Lord and whatever they will be, that it be for Him and His Kingdom.”
We will share more updates from Jack and his teammates from the road as we get a unique and personal Ambrosian perspective on this national and historic Eucharistic procession!
Ways To Participate in the National Eucharistic Revival & Support Jack
- More information and resources can be found on the national event’s website, such as ways to participate in the Eucharistic Pilgrimage with larger groups or personally or other resources.
- The Diocese of Madison is organizing a group to participate in the Eucharistic Rally on Friday, June 7 in La Crosse as one of the routes makes its way from Minnesota to Indiana. Visit the Diocese of Madison’s website for more information on how to join as a part of the bus group or driving on your own. This will be a day of powerful Catholic speakers such as Chris Stefanick and Immaculee Ilibagiza, music, opportunities for Adoration, Confession and more.
- If you wish to support Jack in his fundraising for this pilgrimage, you can also visit his biography page here. Please pray for the fruitfulness of his efforts, for his encounters with those he meets, and for the safety of him and his teammates!