Pope Leo XIV to Offer a Message at the Close of National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Marking America’s 250th Anniversary

The Holy Father’s message will celebrate the legacy of Catholicism in the country and invite renewed unity through the Eucharist.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will offer a special video message at the close of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage speaking to pilgrims gathered in Philadelphia, those participating virtually, the larger Church in the United States of America, and to viewers around the world as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding.

The Holy Father’s message will be shared on Sunday, July 5 at the opening of the closing Mass and Eucharistic procession in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The message will be shown in person to pilgrims gathered in Philadelphia and distributed digitally to those participating through the global broadcast and livestream.

EWTN Global Catholic Network will partner with Vatican Media to serve as the global distribution partner for the papal message and for media coverage of the closing events of the pilgrimage, helping to bring this historic moment of Eucharistic faith and reflection to audiences around the world.

The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, taking place from May 24 through July 5, will carry Our Lord in the Eucharist through 18 dioceses and three Eastern Rite eparchies along the Eastern Seaboard, passing through most of the original 13 colonies and engaging both urban and rural communities. As we mark the semiquincentennial, the pilgrimage offers a visible witness to the enduring presence and mission of the Catholic Church in the United States.

Pope Leo XIV’s message will come at a moment of particular significance for Catholics in the United States. The Holy Father will offer a word of spiritual closeness, peace, unity, and hope, inviting the faithful to look to Christ in the Eucharist as the source of communion and renewal.

The 2026 pilgrimage is under the patronage of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be canonized, whose deep Eucharistic devotion sustained her missionary service among immigrants and the poor. During Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Pavia on June 20th, he venerated a relic of the heart of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini brought from the saint’s motherhouse in nearby Codogno. The pope’s veneration of St. Frances’ relic occurred the same week that the nine perpetual pilgrims accompanying the Eucharist along the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage made a private retreat at the Mother Cabrini National Shrine in Manhattan, where the saint is buried.

The closing events in Philadelphia Independence Day weekend will draw pilgrims to two shrines that bear witness to the legacy of Catholicism in the United States: the tomb of Saint Katharine Drexel and the shrine of Saint John Neumann. The Eucharistic procession will move from the tomb of Saint Katharine Drexel, the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized, to the shrine of Saint John Neumann, the first canonized American bishop.

“This message from Pope Leo XIV will be a profound gift to the Church in the United States and to all who seek peace, unity, and hope,” said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia. “As the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage concludes in Philadelphia, we are deeply grateful that the Holy Father will speak to the faithful gathered here, in the City of Saints, and to those joining around the world, reminding us that Christ in the Eucharist is the source of our unity and the heart of the Church’s mission.”

“The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is a public invitation to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and to carry His presence into the life of our nation,” said Jason Shanks, President of the National Eucharistic Congress. “To receive a message from Pope Leo XIV at the culmination of this journey, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, is more than a landmark moment – it is a call to renewal for the Church in our country. We encourage people to come and experience it in person, to hear directly from the Holy Father a message that will reverberate far beyond the walls of the gathering and echo across the nation for years to come.”

“EWTN is honored to serve as the global distribution partner for the Holy Father’s message and for the closing events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Philadelphia,” said Michael P. Warsaw, EWTN Chairman and CEO. “This historic moment will allow viewers around the world to join in prayer, witness, and thanksgiving as the Church in the United States celebrates the enduring gift of the Eucharist during this milestone in the country’s history.”

Additional details regarding broadcast times, livestream access, media credentials, and coverage opportunities will be announced soon. The closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and the papal video message will be livestreamed on EWTN’s YouTube channel, on the EWTN streaming apps (EWTN +) and on linear broadcast, and made available on the National Eucharistic Congress’s Manna App.

About the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia serves the Catholic faithful in the five-county region of southeastern Pennsylvania and is committed to proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the Sacraments, and serving those in need through its parishes, schools, ministries, and charitable works.

About the National Eucharistic Congress
The National Eucharistic Congress helps renew the Church by inviting everyone to encounter the Eucharistic Heart of the Lord, so that, transformed by Christ, they renew the life of the world.

About EWTN
In its 45th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division; and EWTN News, its global, multilingual news service.

 Catholic Church of Philadelphia
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Media Contacts:

Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Kenneth A. Gavin, Chief Communications Officer, kgavin@archphila.org

National Eucharistic Congress
Rachel Ullmann, media@eucharisticcongress.org

EWTN Global Catholic Network
Jeanette DeMelo, Interim Communications Director, jdemelo@ewtn.com