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The Bicentennial Marian Pilgrimage was a huge success! Thank you to all of our pilgrims, participating parishes, sponsors and anyone else who joined us on this historic journey across the Archdiocese.
An opportunity for your parish to host Mary and share the beauty of Our Mother with your parishioners.
The pilgrimage began on Sunday, May 16, 2021 with a Mass at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Russells Point in the Northern area of the Archdiocese.
From there, a small group of pilgrims began this historic pilgrimage with a special statue of Our Lady of Fatima, blessed by Archbishop Schnurr for this occasion.
The pilgrimage lasted for 33 days, making stops at parishes in every deanery of the Archdiocese, and was highlighted by four cornerstone family events.
The pilgrimage ended at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains on the day of the Bicentennial, Saturday, June 19, 2021. On that day, the Archbishop re-consecrated the Archdiocese to Jesus through Mary during a special Mass commemorating the Bicentennial.
Family Friendly Adoration in Church 8:30am – 7:00pm. 7:00pm Marian Concert with Michael Russell O’Brien. There is NO COST to attend; free will donations accepted
7:00 p.m. Marian Procession with Holy Hour
Thursday evening Confessions 6-6:50. Procession into church at 6:30 p.m. with Rosary afterwards. Mass 7:00 p.m. Friday morning Rosary 8:05, Mass at 8:30 a.m., blessing, and procession out.
Pilgrims will arrive at Bremenfest Park (New Bremen) around 12:15pm and will process through Bremenfest Park. This park is a safe and an easy walk with accessible parking. There is also an adaptive playground for children with disabilities.
6pm Mass at St John parish church followed by procession to Maria Stein Shrine. Exposition at Maria Stein Shrine from 7-9:30pm. Christian Concert at Maria Stein Spiritual Center from 8-9:30pm
Pilgrims will arrive at St. Augustine Parish in Minster at 12:30pm for lunch and rest. An ADAPTIVE ROSARY PRAYER SERVICE will be offered at 1:00pm. Then a procession will take place in a loop around the center of town before continuing on to Sacred Heart in McCartyville. All paths are paved and accessible.
7pm Exposition and Benediction Prayers. Also may include prayers/meditations associated with Our Lady of Fatima.
7:00 pm Mass followed by reception and Veneration until 10 pm.
The procession will leave from St. Mary Church in Piqua and will process around the civic buildings in Piqua and then connect with the bike trail that connects Piqua to Troy. There is plenty of public parking in the middle of the civic buildings and the paths are paved and accessible.
7:00pm Adoration
7:00pm Adoration
7:00pm Marian Mass, bilingual
9:00am Latin Mass at Holy Family – You must be dressed more formally for Mass (men in slacks and dress shirt/polo
& women with knees and shoulders covered by a dress or skirt)
7:00pm Holy Hour
5:30pm Rosary & Prayer Service
7:00pm Rosary at Marian Shrine
The pilgrims will begin with a Mass at 9:00am at Immaculate Conception in Dayton and will then process to Ascension Parish in Kettering at 9:45am. The procession to Ascension is a little less than a mile and will travel predominately through neighborhoods. If transportation is needed back to Immaculate Conception, please CONTACT US and we will put you in touch with the parish. After the procession, there will be an ADAPTIVE ROSARY PRAYER SERVICE at 10:45am in the Ascension Parking Lot.
7:00pm Mass
7:00 p.m. Holy Hour and Rosary
6:00 p.m. Rosary and procession by Knights of Columbus, 7:00 p.m. Mass, followed by light reception
6:15 p.m. Bilingual prayer service with Rosary, Liturgy of the Word with outdoor procession. Reception after.
7:00 p.m. Holy Hour and Rosary, with reflection on Our Lady of Fatima
6:00 pm: Mass
6:30 pm: Children’s living rosary (outside)
7:00 pm: Veneration of the pilgrimage statue
7:30 pm: Marian Concert with Marian meditations
5:30 p.m. Outdoor Stations of the Cross
7:00 p.m. Holy Hour and Evening Prayer
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Rosary and reception of Statue Guardians at Grotto, followed by procession into church and prayer
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.: Confession
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Mass, followed by reception
A short prayer service and accessible procession around Beech Acres Park will take place at 2:00pm. There is plenty of parking and the .5 mile loop is paved and accessible.
7:00 p.m. Marian concert, also including renewal of consecration to Jesus through Mary, praying the Rosary, and veneration of statue (until midnight)
For more info, see our Marian Pilgrimage page.
4:00 p.m. Rosary with Marian hymns in the church, followed by outdoor celebration (food trucks, beer, music, etc.)
7:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Word
7:00 p.m. Rosary Prayer Service
6:00 p.m.: Mass with a Baptism in the context of Mass
7:00 p.m.: Eucharistic adoration and Rosary
At 3:30pm at St. Ignatius there will be an ADAPTIVE ROSARY PRAYER SERVICE followed by a procession around the baseball fields. There is plenty of parking and the route is paved accessible.
6:30 p.m.: “Parking Lot Praise” (outdoor Eucharistic adoration, praise and worship music, fellowship, real tattoo artists, etc.)
7:00 p.m.: Testimony from pilgrims, followed by a Holy Hour
The last day of the pilgrimage will have road closures for a parade route that will allow better access to paved and less crowded paths. All are encouraged to participate in this downtown portion of the pilgrimage route. Pathways will be paved and accessible.
The Archbishop asked every institution in the Archdiocese to consider how to celebrate the upcoming bicentennial which will be commemorated on June 19, 2021. In response, the Center for the New Evangelization prayerfully discerned the idea of organizing a 33-day Marian Pilgrimage in order to prayerfully prepare for the Archdiocese to be re-consecrated to Jesus through Mary. Traditionally a preparation for a consecration to Jesus through Mary takes 33 days.
This is the longest Marian Pilgrimage in the United States – 33 days long – spanning over 300 miles with stops at 33 parishes in every deanery of the Archdiocese. We will be traveling with a special statue of Our Lady of Fatima, blessed by Archbishop Schnurr. The final day of the Pilgrimage will be on the anniversary of the Bicentennial in which the statue will visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and Archbishop Dennis Schnurr will lead a re-consecration of the Archdiocese to Jesus through Mary.
The Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima have always been closely connected to making a consecration to Jesus through Mary and to Pilgrimage. In 1942 Pope Pius XII consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in response to Our Lady of Fatima’s request. The location of the apparitions of our Lady of Fatima is a popular Pilgrimage destination receiving up to 4 million Pilgrimages a year. At the same time, Pilgrim Statues of Mary have been deployed across the world to bring the message of Fatima and pray for Her special blessing.
Become a Spiritual Pilgrim! You can attend the Marian Prayer Service when the Pilgrim Statue visits a parish near you. Check out our daily prayers and resources on our website in order to walk the same “prayer journey” as the Pilgrims. Look for a free copy of the Marian consecration booklet 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-it-yourself retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration by Michael Gaitley, MIC., which will be distributed to every parish in the Archdiocese.
You can also join our Facebook group to follow the pilgrimage and get all the latest information. Marian Pilgrimage 2021 Facebook Page
Check out the map on our “Route Page” for an in-depth look at where the statue of Mary will be each day.
Yes! There are four “cornerstone” events that will be fun, prayerful, and family-friendly. All are invited to attend.
We are taking special care to provide services to make this Marian Pilgrimage accessible to ALL people of faith. There will be ASL Interpreters, Sensory-Friendly Tents, and Sighted Guides (upon request) available at all three of the major events (Maria Stein, Dayton, and Fountain Square). Fr. Mike Depcik, a Deaf priest and graduate from St. Rita School for the Deaf, will preside at an ASL Mass on Monday, June 7 at 8:30am at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish. There will be three ADAPTIVE ROSARY PRAYER SERVICES along the route for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we will be highlighting sections of the route that are more accessible (i.e. paved paths and minimal barriers) for persons with mobility restrictions. If you have any specific accommodations that you would like to request, please contact the Office for Persons with Disabilities at [email protected] or (937)281-4128. Our hope is to make this a pilgrimage for everyone.
Click here for our ASL Resource Page or click here for adaptive materials that pertain to the Marian Pilgrimage.
The day will begin with Pilgrims celebrating Mass at the host parish they arrived at the evening before. After Mass Pilgrims will begin their journey to the next host parish processing with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The average route will be about 10 miles. Pilgrims will have a prayer routine throughout the day that will include praying for intentions left on our webpage. Pilgrims might be joined along the route by individuals, groups or families that would like to walk a portion of the Pilgrimage. The itinerary on certain days will include stops in between the host parishes. These stops include local homeless shelters, pregnancy centers, to pray in front of Abortion Clinics or at correctional institutions. The day will end with a Marian celebration at the next host parish.
Virtus is the Safe Environment used by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and required for those working with vulnerable populations (minors, and older individuals). We are requiring it because the housing of pilgrims may include families with children, and we want to ensure the safety of all who participate. If you have not yet completed a Virtus Course through your parish, please contact Bill Mitchell ([email protected]), the Director for Safe Environment for the Archdiocese, as soon as possible.
The parish hosting the evening event will take care of sleeping arrangements for all pilgrims. You may be staying in people’s homes, at unused rectories, or if needed, a retreat center. Please note that we will be housing people by gender (including married couples).
We will provide times for stops along our route for bathroom breaks. There will also be a bathroom in the RV that will be traveling with pilgrims.
All meals will be provided, either by the parish/host families or by the CNE. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions and we will do our best to accommodate. If you have significant dietary needs, (beyond gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian), please contact Wayne Topp. Pilgrims are welcome to bring their own snacks, and if needed, food (which could be stored in the RV fridge).
Pilgrims should expect to walk anywhere from 5 – 15 miles per day (8-10 is more likely). As such, participants should be in decent shape and have no major medical concerns that would prohibit them from being able to walk and to carry a statute (while taking turns) over the given mileage and days. The average distance of each leg of the pilgrimage is 40 miles.
Each day will include daily Mass and daily prayers, walking and carrying the statue. There may also be participation in regional large events (depending upon the leg you sign up for).
T-shirt, water bottle, journal/prayer guide, and other spiritual and bicentennial items.
Pack clothing that is conducive to the heat/weather, but also respectful and appropriate (i.e. no tight or short shorts, tanks, etc.). Participants will be given a t-shirt to wear for every day of the walk. Clothes for sleeping. Pillow & sleeping bag. Towel & toiletries. Good walking shoes. Rain Jacket. Bible/Journal. Rosary. Bags will ride in the RV.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Please contact James Hess at [email protected]
