The annual Pentecost pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians in Wisconsin took place on May 18.
Hundreds of pilgrims gathered for Mass in the rustic, but beautifully-appointed historic barn at the trail head in the early morning. The Mass, offered by Provincial Superior Canon Matthew Talarico and assisted by Canon Luke Zignego and Canon Erwan Josseaume, gave the pilgrims grace and inspiration for their 4.5 mile walk through the fields, wetlands, and woods of Wisconsin.
Their walk – accompanied by prayer and song – was blessed by sparkling clear skies, but the dappled shadows in the thickets offered welcome shade from the increasingly hot sunshine.
The pilgrim numbers swelled as they reached the final leg of the journey, the rosary walk up the hill to the lovely Basilica.
Here, a brief sermon by Canon Andrew Todd was followed by benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the undercroft Shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Afterward, a hearty picnic lunch was thoroughly enjoyed by all in the sprawling fields at the foot of Holy Hill.