“Brothers and sisters on the way of the pilgrim, as you set out I want to commend you for choosing to take upon yourself this sacred journey. It is often thought that a pilgrimage is a trip to religious site or shrine and that it is, but it is so much more. You will find yourself not only visiting places of importance in the history of our faith, this journey, like the pilgrimage of life itself, is certain to be full of providential meetings and encounters. On this day, many of you are meeting one another for the first time. You’ve left your homes and come from different places to set out on an itinerary of common destinations. Along the way, you and your fellow pilgrims will get to know one another. The bonds between you will grow. You will also be meeting the people wherever you go, who, whether they are aware of it or not, are fellow pilgrims on a journey to that common heavenly home which we all inwardly seek. Yours will be a pilgrimage of meeting other people, a pilgrimage of charity towards and from others along the way. Yours will be a pilgrimage of encounter with the church and its mother, our mother, Mary who will be with you, and beside you every step you take. Yours will be a pilgrimage of encounter with those who have preceded us in faith, the saints, whose homes you will visit and whose ministries you will experience. Your pilgrimage will be a journey of faith in Jesus Christ the Word of God and the word truly present in the Eucharist, guided by the Spirit, in communion with your priest and one another, the saints throughout the ages and with the church throughout the world, past, present and future. This journey will be an encounter with God in a personal and very special way. “We Pilgrims” says it all. You are on a sacred journey. We pilgrims, setting out to find out who you really are and what God would have you become, brothers and sisters on the way of the pilgrim. We pilgrims are eager to walk with the saints. We pilgrims journeying towards Rome, toward the center of the church, towards Christ, the Communion of Saints and our heavenly home. Pray, pray for the evangelization of the world, the conversion of hearts, the relief of suffering, and the restoration of unity among all Christians. Pray for the Pope, for your own Bishops and local churches. Pilgrims need one another. May you stand and walk together in faith, to the glory of God. 

Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput.