Pope Leo XIV to address pilgrims as National Eucharistic journey concludes

Pope Leo XIV will deliver a special video message to Catholics across the United States at the conclusion of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, marking a historic moment as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.

The Holy Father’s message will be shown Sunday, July 5, at the opening of the closing Mass and Eucharistic procession in Philadelphia, where thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather after a six-week journey across the eastern United States.

According to organizers, Pope Leo XIV’s address will reflect on the legacy of Catholicism in the United States while encouraging the faithful to seek renewed unity, peace, and hope through Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s closings events in Philadelphia during  Independence Day weekend will also draw pilgrims to two shrines that bear witness to the legacy of Catholicism in the United States: the tomb of St. Katharine Drexel and the shrine of St. John Neumann.  Drexel was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized, while St. John Neumann was the first canonized American bishop.

“This message from Pope Leo XIV will be a profound gift to the Church in the United States and to all who seek peace, unity, and hope,” said Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia.

“We are deeply grateful that the Holy Father will speak to the faithful gathered here, in the City of Saints, and to those joining around the world, reminding us that Christ in the Eucharist is the source of our unity and the heart of the Church’s mission,” Pérez added.

“The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is a public invitation to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and to carry His presence into the life of our nation,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress. “To receive a message from Pope Leo XIV at the culmination of this journey, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, is more than a landmark moment – it is a call to renewal for the Church in our country,“ Shanks noted.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in partnership with Vatican Media, will serve as the global distribution partner for the papal message.

“EWTN is honored to serve as the global distribution partner for the Holy Father’s message and for the closing events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Philadelphia,” said EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw.

“This historic moment will allow viewers around the world to join in prayer, witness, and thanksgiving as the Church in the United States celebrates the enduring gift of the Eucharist during this milestone in the country’s history.”

The closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and the papal video message will be livestreamed on EWTN’s YouTube channel, on the EWTN streaming apps (EWTN +), and on linear broadcast, and made available on the National Eucharistic Congress’s Manna App. 

2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began May 24 and has carried the Blessed Sacrament through much of the original 13 colonies, reaching as far north as New Hampshire and Maine.

Nine perpetual pilgrims are traveling with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for the entire journey, which began in St. Augustine, Florida, and will conclude on the Fourth of July weekend.

The pilgrimage is being held under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.