Pope Leo XIV will deliver a video message to Catholics in the United States as a historic, multi-state religious pilgrimage concludes in Philadelphia to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The visual address will be shared on Sunday, July 5 at the opening of the closing Mass and Eucharistic procession in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The address will broadcast live to pilgrims in Philadelphia and stream globally via Vatican Media and EWTN.
Organizers say the Holy Father’s message will celebrate the legacy of Catholicism in the country and invite renewed unity through the Eucharist.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez welcomed the announcement, calling the upcoming address “a profound gift to the Church in the United States and to all who seek peace, unity, and hope.”
“As the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage concludes in 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,” said Archbishop Pérez.
Key details of the closing events include:
- The Route: The 43-day journey has traveled through 18 dioceses and three Eastern Rite eparchies across the Eastern Seaboard since May 24.
- The Philadelphia Procession: The final July 5 procession will move from the tomb of Saint Katharine Drexel, the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized, to the shrine of Saint John Neumann, the first canonized American bishop. Pilgrimage events for Philadelphia can be found here.
- Where to Watch: 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.
The pilgrimage takes place under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen canonized by the Catholic Church.
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