BRAINTREE -- This June, the Archdiocese of Boston will participate in a month-long Eucharistic pilgrimage across the Eastern U.S. in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the country's founding.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, entitled "One Nation Under God," will travel from St. Augustine, Florida, to Philadelphia from May 24 to July 5, stopping in Boston from June 26 to 28. Under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, nine young adults will serve as "perpetual pilgrims," accompanying the Blessed Sacrament on a journey through 18 dioceses in 13 states and Washington, D.C. The procession will make its way through some of the Eastern Seaboard's most historic cities and landmarks.

"We are not only going to be praying for our nation but bringing about an awareness of Christ in the Eucharist," said Archdiocese of Boston Director of Family Life and Ecclesial Movements Liz Cotrupi.

The National Eucharistic Congress is organizing the annual Eucharistic pilgrimages. Cotrupi said that it is part of a larger "Eucharistic revival" happening in the U.S.

"They contacted us to say, 'Would you be willing to work with us?'" she said. "And, of course, the archbishop said yes."

The archdiocese set up a committee on behalf of Archbishop Richard G. Henning, led by Cotrupi and Father Paul Wargovich, the archbishop's priest secretary, to pick historically significant sites for Masses, processions, and adoration. Although some permits are still being finalized, the plan is for the pilgrimage to arrive in Boston on June 26 for Divine Liturgy at Our Lady of the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral in West Roxbury. The pilgrimage will then head down to Pilgrim Memorial Park, home of Plymouth Rock, for adoration and benediction with Archbishop Henning. A procession will take the Blessed Sacrament from the park to St. Peter Church in Downtown Plymouth, where the archbishop will celebrate Mass.

On June 27, a procession will take the Blessed Sacrament along the Freedom Trail, starting at the Boston Common Bandstand and ending with adoration and benediction at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

"The walk from Boston Common to what we hope will end at the Bunker Hill Monument will be, I think, will be pretty epic," Cotrupi said.

That afternoon, Archbishop Henning will celebrate a vigil Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

On June 28, there will be adoration and benediction at St. Brigid Parish in Lexington, followed by a procession to the Lexington Battle Green, where the "shot heard 'round the world" began the Revolutionary War and the U.S.'s struggle for independence in 1775. Archbishop Henning will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving on the Battle Green.

Over the course of the weekend, the Eucharist will travel to places that, in colonial times, were under Puritan rule -- places where Catholicism was once outlawed. Cotrupi noted that the pilgrimage's time in Boston will coincide with Religious Freedom Week, observed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from June 22 to 29. At the same time, she said, more and more people have been receiving their sacraments and becoming Catholic in the archdiocese. She said that this is because people are "looking for meaning, looking for purpose," and finding it in the Catholic Church.

"That's a wonderful thing to celebrate, right?" she said. "And at the same time, celebrating the freedom we have in this country and the founding of the country. So you tie all those things together, it makes for a really wonderful celebration."

She cannot recall the archdiocese ever participating in a national procession of this size. "Into the Deep," the procession in which Archbishop Henning brought the Blessed Sacrament down the North Shore to Boston in 2025, saw a turnout of almost 3,000 people. Cotrupi urged people to register in advance for the June events. Only 25 percent of attendees typically register, so the crowds are often much larger than expected. To plan the processions and adorations, the archdiocese has had to secure permits from local governments, coordinate with local police and fire departments, and ensure the presence of security.

"Everybody's been very, very, very nice and willing to work with us," Cotrupi said. "We're making some good progress in that and are excited about the collaboration."

She said that the city of Boston has been especially helpful, considering that the procession along the Freedom Trail will coincide with this year's World Cup. While the games will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the procession will pass by a "fan zone" in City Hall Plaza, where live viewings and watch parties will take place.

"They could've said 'We can't help you,' but they've been wonderful to work with," Cotrupi said.

She hopes that parishes will come to the scheduled events in groups and do things like make T-shirts to commemorate the occasion.