Pilgrims ‘In Awe’ As Over 1,000 Arrive in Tiny Maryland Town for National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, by Tyler Arnold

By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency, June 8, 20224

Tyler Arnold is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency, based in EWTN News’ Washington Bureau. He previously worked at The Center Square and has been published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative, and The Federalist.

Washington D.C., Jun 8, 2024 / 06:00 am – The tiny town of Emmitsburg, Maryland (population 3,629) grew by approximately 50% on Thursday, June 6, when a crowd of as many as 1,500 Catholics joined two Eucharistic processions through its normally sleepy streets.

Emmitsburg is home to the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint. Rob Judge, the shrine’s executive director, said it was likely the largest gathering in the town since Mother Seton’s canonization in 1975.

“To see people flowing in and adoring Our Lord and just using this space to have an encounter with him is — it’s humbling for all of us that are here every day,” Judge said. …