WICHITA, Kan. — The 67 victims of a tragic 1969 midair collision over the Potomac River were commemorated at a special Mass on May 28 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita. Celebrated by Bishop Carl A. Kemme, the liturgy honored those lost in the accident involving an American Airlines flight originating in Wichita and a U.S. Army helicopter.
The Mass formed part of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a cross-country journey that on May 28 marked its tenth day and eighth diocesan stop. The pilgrimage, featuring eight young adult “perpetual pilgrims” accompanied by chaplains and the Eucharist, began in Indianapolis on May 18 and is set to conclude in Los Angeles on June 22, the feast of Corpus Christi.
The 10-state pilgrimage includes daily events at Catholic parishes and institutions, including Mass, Eucharistic adoration, service projects, and community engagement.
Bearing Witness Through Processions
In his homily, Bishop Kemme emphasized the public nature of Eucharistic processions as a witness to the real presence of Christ.
“Who we carry into the streets today is none other than Jesus himself,” he said. “It is one thing to believe this and keep this mystery contained within the four walls of our churches, but it is quite another to bring this mystery out into the streets for the entire world to see.”
Kemme noted that the Eucharist is not a private devotion but a universal treasure, meant even for those who might reject or misunderstand it.
While in Wichita, pilgrims also visited the tomb of Father Emil Kapaun, a U.S. Army chaplain and Korean War hero declared “venerable” by Pope Francis in February. Father Kapaun died in 1951 while ministering to fellow prisoners of war in North Korea.
Later, the pilgrims joined guests at The Lord’s Diner, a local soup kitchen, and participated in a Eucharistic healing event at the cathedral. Ace Acuña, a perpetual pilgrim and campus minister at Princeton University, reflected on the deep faith evident during the event, describing one man reaching out to touch the priest’s veil while whispering, “Just the tassel,” referencing the Gospel story of the hemorrhaging woman.
Spiritual Encounters Along the Way
Earlier in the pilgrimage, the group led a six-mile Eucharistic procession through rural Iowa on May 24, connecting St. Boniface Church in New Vienna with Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Petersburg. The walk was marked by prayer, song, and silent reflection along scenic country roads.
The day prior, pilgrims entered the Archdiocese of Dubuque by boat, accompanied by a reading about Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, a 19th-century Dominican missionary. The narrative described Father Mazzuchelli’s faith during a perilous river crossing with the Eucharist — an experience echoed by the pilgrims’ own voyage.
“It was a poignant moment,” said Cheyenne Johnson, a perpetual pilgrim and campus ministry director at Butler University, during a May 28 press conference. “To be on a boat, staring at our Lord in the monstrance — it was a beautiful moment of encounter.”
The group also participated in a priestly ordination at the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Dubuque before moving on to Des Moines and Kansas City, engaging in adoration, Mass, and Holy Hours along the way. Their journey through the Diocese of Wichita continues through May 30 before advancing to Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Nationwide Participation and Growing Momentum
Organizers estimate that more than 7,000 people took part in events during the pilgrimage’s first week. The effort builds on the success of the inaugural 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which brought together 30 pilgrims across four routes, all converging in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress.
Both the pilgrimage and the congress are components of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative launched in 2022 to renew Catholic devotion to the Eucharist.
Pilgrims have shared how spontaneous conversations, shared prayers, and public witness have created powerful spiritual moments. Some described receiving prayer intentions from strangers and witnessing priests hearing confessions along the route.
Though the pilgrimage includes formal Eucharistic adoration stops, it also allows for more personal moments. On May 28, Frances Webber, a Minnesota-based pilgrim, reflected on a morning of prayer while driving through rural Kansas.
“I was just sitting there with my coffee, telling [Jesus] about my life and what was happening right now,” she said. “And I was just struck by the simplicity of that moment — like he was my friend and we were having coffee together.”
