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Day 2: Putting Into the Deep

BRIDGEPORT, May 19 — The second day of the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage was a "long but beautiful" one, according to Father Roger Landry, chaplain for the 65 days of the journey to Indianapolis.


The pilgrims began by loading their support vehicle and trailer at 6:15 am, followed by morning prayer in the chapel of St. Mary's Rectory in New Haven.


At 7 am, they participated in a Eucharistic Procession from St. Mary's Church to St. Joseph's Church in New Haven, which was about a 50 minute journey. Both Churches are part of Bl. Michael McGivney Parish in New Haven. Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford, carried the Blessed Sacrament between the two Churches.




There was an 8:30 am Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost at St. Joseph's Church, in which Bishop Betancourt preached about the importance of the Eucharist in Christian life and how the Holy Spirit wants to help in the Eucharistic Revival taking place in the Church in the United States. At the end of the liturgy, Bishop Betancourt gave a special blessing to the Seton pilgrims.


Then the pilgrims began a 2.5 mile Eucharistic procession from St. Joseph's Church to Long Wharf in New Haven, where they boarded a boat that transported them to Bridgeport Harbor. During the journey on the Atlantic, the pilgrims sang hymns to Jesus who was in the monstrance on the boat.


"Jesus called Saints Peter, Andrew, James and John, to 'put out into the deep water.' That's what we did today, " said Father Landry. "We went into a sea far deeper than the Sea of Galilee as we seek, like the first apostles, to be fishers of men with the same 'bait' — Jesus — with which they labored to bring others to faith."





Father Landry said that the journey on the Atlantic was only one way they were summoned by the Lord to go into the deep. He said that the full itinerary arranged by the Diocese of Bridgeport upon their arrival in Bridgeport harbor would stretch their spiritual and physical stamina.


Upon arriving on shore, the pilgrims were met by a large number of seminarians and servers, priests and faithful, and together, with Fr. Landry holding the monstrance, they journeyed together to Blessed Sacrament Church, where Bridgeport Bishop Frank Caggiano met them and transported the Eucharist into the Church, where, in the midst of a holy hour, Bishop Caggiano preached on the mystery of how the Holy Spirit changes the flour and water of the elements of bread into Jesus, the Living Bread.


From Blessed Sacrament, they then processed to SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish, where there was Solemn Vespers sung in Latin. SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish is entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King, which specializes in celebrating the Latin liturgy according to the 1962 Roman Missal.


Bishop Caggiano, the Seton pilgrims and a large group of priests, seminarians and faithful then processed to St. Mary Parish, where they were met by a packed Church of mainly Latino parishioners. Father Landry gave a bilingual fervorino in the midst of two hours of prayer, song and adoration.


The next stop was St. Michael's Parish, of Polish origin, where behind the Church there was outside adoration and the singing of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.


From there everybody processed to St. Charles Borromeo Parish where there was a final holy hour of the day. Once again Bishop Frank Caggiano preached on the Eucharist, led a procession within the Church, there was the Rosary and the Litany of the Holy Eucharist. After Benediction, St. Charles Borromeo began an all night holy hour, from 9 pm through 8 am on Monday morning.


The perpetual pilgrims then drove from Bridgeport to Stamford, where they are receiving the hospitality of the Sisters of Life at the Villa Guadalupe Retreat House.



Below are various pilgrim photos from the day.






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