July 24, 2024 // Diocese

On Pilgrimage, a Realization that Grace is Everywhere

Mason Bailey

Praised be Jesus Christ!

What a tiring, intense, but beautiful journey it has been! From the headwaters of the Mississippi River to downtown Indianapolis, I was able to travel with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for 60 days on the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. I wondered at crowds of thousands who chose to walk with the Eucharist through the streets of their cities. I grew in wisdom by encountering the lay faithful on procession, staying in rectories with seasoned parish priests, and living in the sacrament of the present moment with my fellow perpetual pilgrims. Most of all, I worshiped the Lord in profound and unique ways. From participating in Byzantine Divine Liturgies and Syro-Malabar Qurbanas to serving Roman Catholic Masses in small towns and big cities across the Midwest, I’ve seen the glory of the Lord on display.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This pilgrimage was perhaps the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. There were many blisters, sunburns, and two aching legs. There were periods of spiritual desolation and intense anxiety. However, through the intercessory prayers of hundreds of people – family, friends, and strangers – and the sacramental grace poured out from the Eucharist, combined with the support of my fellow pilgrims, I was able to walk into St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Indianapolis at the conclusion of the pilgrimage with my soul dancing within me. Instead of crawling into that final stop on the pilgrimage, I walked in with my head held high. Surprised by an outpouring of tears, I smiled as the Marian Route processed into the church.

I’m reminded that, indeed, there is no Resurrection without the Cross. Through every challenge, there is grace, even if it might be difficult to identify. I’m reminded of a line from “The Diary of a Country Priest” by Georges Bernanos, a book that I’m currently reading for seminary, which I read right before the pilgrimage began. I was in a pretty swanky room reserved for visiting clergy at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I felt very self-important as I sat in my comfortable chair with my feet up. I thought to myself, “Wow, this pilgrimage is going to be a piece of cake.” I read this line in the foreword of the book, although it appears at the end of the novel itself: “Grace is everywhere.” “So good!” I thought as I underlined it. It’s an easy quotation to love and then move past – that is, until one realizes that suffering and grace are so often intertwined.

Certainly, grace is everywhere, but my eyes were clouded to it in the moments of trial and suffering that occurred intermittently during the pilgrimage. I began to doubt the presence of God’s grace in my journey. Then, I arrived in Indianapolis and witnessed 50,000 Catholics marveling, learning about, and worshiping Our Lord in the Eucharist. Each person in the crowd witnessed to me that grace is always present. Wonder, wisdom, and worship truly make us witnesses of God’s omnipresent grace. It is good to learn and experience this so early in my seminary formation. More trials will come. It would be naive for me to think otherwise. But the outpouring of graces, both the ones known and still being unpacked, are great gifts from God that will aid me in my path toward (God-willing) the diocesan priesthood.

As this is the conclusion of my series of columns, I want to thank all of those who have found fruit in what I have written. Also, it was beautiful to see so many familiar faces from the diocese at the Congress. I know the Holy Spirit is tirelessly at work in the United States and in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my fellow perpetual pilgrims on the Marian Route: Danielle, Sarah, Jennifer, Kai, Matthew, Blase, and Megan. Each of you helped me to grow in my pursuit of Christian virtue and faithfulness. For this, and our shared experience, which will continue to impact us for the rest of our lives, I’m eternally grateful.

Please pray for me and my vocation – and be assured of my prayers for all of you.

Pax Christi,
Mason