On Friday, May 24, pilgrims arrived at St. Philip Neri Church in the Bronx for a prayer service during a scheduled stop on the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

The street procession, led by clergymen, women religious, Church staff and volunteers, arrived at the north Grand Concourse parish around noon. More than 200 people participated, including 75 middle schoolers from Holy Cross School in the Bronx. It was part of the Yonkers/Bronx section of the Seton Route.                              

“Lord, Jesus Christ, we ask for your blessing upon the families of this archdiocese – that you grant us the grace of many vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” Father Roger Landry, leader of the procession on the Seton Route, said during the prayer service, which was followed by adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. “And that there be many holy families who heroically live as witnesses to your sacred presence in the most Blessed Sacrament. You, who will live and reign forever and ever.”            

The people said, “Amen.”

Father Landry spoke about the life and works of St. Philip Neri, the parish’s patron saint, an Italian priest and mystic, “the great apostle of Rome in the 16th century.” Neri was founder of the Congregation of the Oratory (now the Institute of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, also called Oratorians), a congregation of secular priests and clerics. He was known for his affability and a spirit of joyfulness. His feast day is May 26.  

Father Landry also read from Luke 24: “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” 

Among the Holy Cross students were Isabella Diaz Soto, Benicio Gonzalez, and Seph Baptiste.  Each of them told The Good Newsroom that they took part in the procession to help their parish and the Church in the sacred mission of the Eucharistic Revival. 

“We were able to get a chance to walk with Jesus, to be closer to Jesus,” Diaz Soto, 14, said outside the church after the prayer service and adoration. “And to strengthen our faith with Jesus, so as we go into the future, we know that Jesus is with us in our hearts and that He is the light of our lives.” 

The Holy Cross school group was led by Father Vincent Druding, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church, and staff from the school. Father Druding led them in prayer outside St. Philip Neri, before they boarded buses to the school. 

One of the adult procession participants was Ana Marte, a parishioner of St. Philip Neri, who during a sidewalk interview said she took part in the event “because God is everything for us – we must praise Him…This is our faith, founded by Jesus, left for us by Jesus. We are here to serve Him.” 

Later, on the steps of the altar area, Father Daniel O’Reilly, pastor at St. Philip Neri, told The Good Newsroom that it was “a great honor” to have his parish’s prayer service during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. “To have this historic movement of four monstrances from across the country converging at a giant event in Indianapolis (in July), it’s an honor to be part of something that is uniting the Body of Christ throughout the country.”