Catholics of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey are invited to deepen their faith and relationship with Jesus by joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for a spiritually exhilarating Marian pilgrimage in October. The anticipated event will offer prayer, catechesis, and worship in the sacred atmosphere of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Participants can choose a one-day pilgrimage to the basilica on Saturday, Oct. 17, featuring a catechesis on prayer in English and Spanish, recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Mass with Bishop Sweeney and concelebrating priests, and an opportunity to receive reconciliation. Pilgrims can also choose a two-day trip from Friday, Oct. 16, to Saturday, Oct. 17, which includes a visit to the Museum of the Bible and a banquet dinner with Bishop Sweeney on Oct. 16 before visiting the basilica the next day for the pilgrimage.
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All participants on the one-day pilgrimage will visit the grand Romanesque-Byzantine basilica, the largest Roman Catholic church in the Americas. They will experience its impressive architecture and the world’s largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical artwork, spread throughout its more than 80 chapels and oratories.
Starting at noon on Oct. 17, the diocesan-led pilgrimage will begin in the Upper Church. Father Michael Rodak, diocesan pilgrimage director, will offer a welcome and introduction. A chosen family will then make a Presentation to Mary.
Afterward, pilgrims can choose activities during two activity sessions: 12:45-1:15 p.m. and 1:30-2 p.m. Options include a self-guided basilica tour, a presentation in English and Spanish by the diocesan Catechetical Office on the section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church about prayer, a basilica history talk, confessions in the Crypt Church, and quiet time for personal prayer.
The pilgrimage will continue at 2:15 p.m. with the praying of a multilingual Divine Mercy Chaplet, followed by a Mass in English and Spanish at 2:30 p.m., celebrated by Bishop Sweeney, with many participating priests concelebrating.
“This pilgrimage is a wonderful way for Catholics to grow in their faith, prayer lives, and relationship with God, and to honor our Blessed Mother, patroness of the Church in the United States,” said Father Rodak, who has organized several previous diocesan pilgrimages to the basilica, most recently in 2023. “It will be a great blessing to the Church of Paterson.”
The one-day experience will include bus transportation to Washington, D.C., from various parishes in the Paterson Diocese, leaving between 6 and 6:45 a.m., depending on the departure point. The cost is $70 per person, which includes bus transportation, gratuities, and activities at the shrine.
For the two-day pilgrimage, the bus will depart from St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., at 7:15 a.m., arriving at the Museum of the Bible at 11:30 a.m. Lunch is included.
The 430,000-square-foot museum offers an immersive experience of the history, narrative, and global impact of the bible through high-tech exhibits, rare artifacts, and a 1st-century Nazareth replica that engages visitors with the bible’s influence. For more information about the museum, visit.
https://www.museumofthebible.org/media-reques. While there, the diocesan pilgrims will view two films on the Old and New Testaments. Bishop Sweeney will join them. Their visit will also include an hour of free time.
The bus will depart the museum at 3:30 p.m. for the Weston Tysons Corner Hotel in Falls Church, Va. Participants of the two-day pilgrimage will join Bishop Sweeney for a banquet dinner at 7 p.m. Breakfast will be included before departure from the Westin Hotel at 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 17 for pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception the next morning.
The two-day pilgrimage includes a bus, a banquet dinner with Bishop Sweeney, a Saturday breakfast buffet, all taxes/gratuities, and deluxe accommodations at The Weston. The cost is $395 per person for single occupancy and $325 per person for double occupancy.
“The pilgrimage is a long day. When participants arrive home, they will feel physically tired but spiritually charged,” said Father Rodak, who is also pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, N.J. “The experience is both challenging and uplifting — a true journey of faith and hope that leaves one rewarded and spiritually renewed.”
Sign up here for either the one- or two-day pilgrimage. The registration deadline is Sept. 11 for the two-day pilgrimage and Oct. 1 for the one-day pilgrimage.
