ST. JOHN – An upcoming event within the Diocese of Gary will celebrate religious freedom while incorporating plenty of opportunities for spiritual reflection and prayer. The event was planned as part of local celebrations during the Jubilee Year of Hope.
This Saturday, June 28, St. John the Evangelist, located at 10701 Olcott Ave. in St. John, is hosting “Pilgrims of Hope and Freedom.” This event will include a Eucharistic procession and the Rosary Across America, a live and interactive radio program bringing together Catholics across the nation to pray the Rosary.
Father Declan McNicholas, director of missionary discipleship and evangelization for the diocese, explained the year of jubilee encourages Catholics to live out their faith.
“Oftentimes we try to divorce our political life from our faith life,” he said. “As Christians, as people, we are not to live a divided life. I think that this event helps us show that our faith and our country can, and when done well, do coincide very well together.”
Deacon Robert Gromala believes the event will beautifully embody the spirit of the Jubilee Year of Hope, offering pilgrims a chance to encounter Christ in a powerful, public and prayerful way.
“In a time when the world is so often divided and distracted, the evening seeks to draw people together united in faith, as one Church, walking in hope and proclaiming our freedom in Christ,” he said.
Deacon Gromala shared that attendees can expect a deeply spiritual and joy-filled experience, adding that the evening is centered on prayer and community.
“It’s a family-friendly pilgrimage that weaves together faith, freedom and festivity,” Deacon Gromala said.
The Pilgrims of Hope and Freedom event will start with Eucharistic adoration, Mass with Bishop Robert J. McClory and a Eucharistic procession from St. John the Evangelist to The Shrine of Christ’s Passion. As part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, those in attendance will receive a plenary indulgence by praying the Rosary with Father Francis J. “Father Rocky” Hoffman and Bishop McClory.
“I think the highlight of the evening will be the Eucharistic procession down the prayer trail followed by the Rosary live on Relevant Radio,” said Father McNicholas.
Deacon Gromala also noted the procession as being one of the key elements of the day, describing it as “a moment of unity, grace and unmistakable hope.”
“There’s something deeply moving about walking behind our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, surrounded by fellow pilgrims, candles, prayer, and song, all leading to the powerful witness of the Rosary as we call for the intercession of our most beautiful and Blessed Mother, prayed nationwide,” said Deacon Gromala.
In the evening, participants will be treated to live music, a drone show, fireworks, food trucks and more.
Father McNicholas said that SJE and The Shrine made good partners for the day’s activities not only because of the physical space of the shrine, but also the connection to last year's event in which the Diocese of Gary joined the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage when it that came through Northwest Indiana on the 4th of July and hosted a similar event at that time.
“The Shrine of Christ's Passion is a place of peace and hope, and I feel that is what people are looking for in this jubilee year,” said Paul Anderson, general manager of The Shrine.
Pilgrims of Hope and Freedom
5:30-6 p.m. – Gather in church with adoration, holy hour
6:30 p.m. – Mass with Bishop McClory
7:30 p.m. – Eucharistic procession on the prayer trail to The Shrine of Christ’s Passion
8 p.m. – Rosary across America with Father Rocky
8:30-9:15 p.m. – Praise and Worship with food trucks/booths available in parking lot
9:15 p.m. – Drone show/Fireworks
Caption: At St. John the Evangelist, Bishop Robert J. McClory carried a monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament on July 4, 2024, as faithful processed to The Shrine of Christ’s Passion in St. John. Perpetual pilgrims on the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage visited the parish, joining local faithful for Mass, a Eucharistic procession, praying the Rosary on a live Relevant Radio network broadcast and an Independence Day-themed drone and fireworks show. The parish will host a similar event on June 28. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)
