(OSV News) -- The third week of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage kicked off amid protests in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 30 with a 5.5-mile procession from the University of Tulsa to Holy Family Cathedral.
The pilgrims contended this week with protesters lining the route with megaphones and speakers, preaching against Catholic beliefs, including belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. An estimated 40 to 50 protesters followed the pilgrimage in Oklahoma and Texas.
Protesters include members of the Church of Wells in Wells, Texas, a town in the northeast part of the state. The church has faced media scrutiny in the past for alleged cult-like behavior.
"We hope that through preaching many people will come to understand the vast difference between Catholicism and Protestantism," Sean Michael Morris, a Church of Wells elder, said in a June 2 email to OSV News. He added that other Protestants who are not members of the Church of Wells have been joining the protests.
Addressing the protests, Jason Shanks, president of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., said in a June 5 press conference that "while this is new for us -- this was not a regular occurrence last year -- this is not new for Catholics. Even going back to John Chapter 6, we hear about quarrels happening related to the bread of life discourse."
"What we're seeing and what these pilgrims are experiencing on the road is a lot of debate and shouting and things of that nature, going straight at the |real presence of Jesus," he said.
He said the National Eucharistic Congress is "working behind the scenes with law enforcement on security," and "have not seen any sense of violence on the route" and don't expect any. The protesters are only joining for the public processions and have not been coming to private events along the route.
They expect the protesters will continue on their route all the way to its conclusion on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 22, in Los Angeles.
In light of this, Shanks called for an increase in the number of Catholics participating to witness to Christ with their presence. "I'm calling all Catholics to show up for Jesus," he said, "this is our opportunity to step out in faith ... to witness to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist."
"Our witness is going to be in our silent suffering with Jesus," he said, "we're asking Catholics to come, but to evangelize through their silent witness and their walk because these protesters are focused on antagonizing, trying to get in debates and to record those so that they can put them online."
Ace Acuña, a perpetual pilgrim who works in campus ministry at Princeton University in New Jersey, said at the press conference that the protesters' presence along the route has been "difficult," but, "as with any difficulty that Christ puts in our way, he can always redeem that."
He said that parts of Scripture have "come alive" for him as a result of the protesters' presence, like "Jesus telling his disciples to pray for those who persecute you. Blessed are you when they persecute you and revile you."
He said that the team has also felt "conformed to the heart of Mary through all of this" in her quiet prayer, walking alongside Jesus in his suffering.
Leslie Reyes-Hernandez, another perpetual pilgrim who teaches high school algebra in Phoenix, said that the protesters gave her a "reality check," reminding her of the importance of continuing to choose to walk with the Lord, not just in good times, but even when people are "not yelling the nicest things."
Reyes-Hernandez also spoke of "what an inspiration" it was to visit the shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City June 3 amid these difficulties. She said she hadn't previously known the story of the Oklahoma priest who was martyred for his missionary work in Guatemala and felt blessed to "learn from him."
The pilgrims will head from the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, to the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, June 7 and will remain there until June 10. They will close out their time in Texas in the Diocese of El Paso June 10-11 and continue on to the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
