(OSV News) ─ Young Catholic adults are invited to apply for a "once-in-a-lifetime" journey with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist across the nation.
Eight perpetual pilgrims are being sought for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which takes place May 21 to July 8.
Those selected will accompany the Blessed Sacrament for the full length of the pilgrimage, forming a core group that will participate in Eucharistic processions through towns and cities, while attending daily Mass and Holy Hours. They will also carry out both service and evangelization in local communities along the entire route.
The effort is not for the faint of heart, according to the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage's website.
"Serving as a Perpetual Pilgrim is an extraordinary call -- and a serious commitment," said its perpetual pilgrim application page. "This journey is demanding spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically -- yet it is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Apostles."
Applicants must baptized and confirmed Catholics ages 19-29, who are "rooted in the sacraments ... faithful to the teachings of the Church and committed to daily prayer," said the website.
In addition, pilgrims must be "flexible, resilient, and ready for communal team life on the road," as well as "physically able to walk long distances," which can stretch up to 15 miles on some days.
Perpetual pilgrims will engage with those they encounter along the way through faith sharing, witness talks and media interviews, and will stay in local host homes during their journey.
Training will be provided to assist the pilgrims in fundraising for mission expenses, and a spiritual director will guide the pilgrims before, during and after their trek.
Applications are due by Oct. 22.
An in-person pre-pilgrimage retreat for the perpetual pilgrims will be held Jan. 23-25, and weekly formation meetings will be conducted via Zoom on Monday evenings throughout the spring ahead of the anticipated May 21 pilgrimage start date.
The pilgrimage continues a key component of the National Eucharistic Revival, the 2022-2025 effort by the U.S. Catholic bishops to rekindle devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. The initiative was sparked by a 2019 Pew Research Center report showing that only one third of the nation's Catholics believed that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.
Major highlights in the revival included the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, which took place in July 2024 in Indianapolis, and the 2024 and 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimages.
National Eucharistic Congress Inc., a nonprofit organization in a partnership with the USCCB, expects to continue to build on the revival's work through its annual National Eucharistic Pilgrimages as well as diocesan, regional and national Eucharistic congresses. Organizers hope to hold the next National Eucharistic Congress in 2029, a proposal on which the U.S. bishops are expected to vote when they meet in November.
In the meantime, the upcoming 2026 pilgrimage will " bring the healing presence of Christ across our nation, renewing the Church through encounter," said pilgrimage organizers on the application website.
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Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesse Reina.
