Two people involved with leading and planning the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Father Tim Tran and Amy Tadlock, told “Practicing Catholic” radio show producer Kayla Mayer that they are gearing up for a “historic event” this May as the pilgrimage passes through the archdiocese and the Twin Cities.
Tadlock, an adjunct instructor at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, is the manager for organizational effectiveness in the archdiocese and is leading the organizational efforts for the pilgrimage as it passes through the archdiocese May 24-31.
On May 27, Summit Avenue will be closed off to traffic as the Eucharist is carried roughly four miles — from 12:45 p.m. midday prayer at The St. Paul Seminary to the Cathedral of St. Paul, Tadlock said.
“We are really excited,” Tadlock said. “I don’t know how many times Summit Avenue actually gets closed down — let alone gets closed down for an event something like this.”
It is providential that the procession with the Eucharist will take place on Summit Avenue, said Father Tran, associate pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka and the archdiocesan “point person” for the National Eucharistic Revival. Vatican II referred to the Eucharist as the “source and summit of our faith,” he said.
The Summit Avenue walk will be part of the pilgrimage’s long journey through the archdiocese, Tadlock said.
“We’ll have a group of perpetual pilgrims who will travel throughout the archdiocese. There’ll be some evening stops which will have events open to the public, things like prayer services and times of adoration, praise and worship. And then along the way, during the day, the pilgrims will make some briefer stops at other parishes as they travel,” Tadlock explained.
On a national level, Tadlock said pilgrims will carry the Eucharist from four regions of the United States — north, south, east and west — to converge upon Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21.
The archdiocese is part of the northern Marian Route, which will begin at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota over Pentecost Weekend.
The pilgrimage signifies the communal nature of the Catholic faith, said Father Tran.
“Our faith is not something that’s just individual or personal,” he said. Relationship with the Lord should be intimate, but also should “connect us communally, that we’re a part of family, a pilgrim journey together.”
To hear more about the pilgrimage from Father Tran and Tadlock, tune in to “Practicing Catholic” when it airs 9 p.m. March 8 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, or when it repeats at 1 p.m. March 9 and 2 p.m. March 10.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes a discussion with Sister Mary Micaela Hoffmann in advance of Catholic Sisters Week about her vocation and the charism of her order, the Religious Sisters of Mercy. And in a Practicing Catholic classic, Father Daniel Griffith discusses the rights and responsibilities of all practicing Catholics.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
