Upswing in attendance at annual pilgrimage

Organizers of the 2026 annual Diocesan pilgrimage say they’ve seen an upswing in attendance and a new appreciation of the Marian devotions.

This year’s event took place on Aug. 16, beginning at the Paroisse St-Malo Parish and moving to Ava Maria Grotto.

A procession kicked off the day’s events with walker’s reciting the Rosary as they moved down the village street.

The day also included Mass in both English and French as well as lunch, confessions and Holy Hour.

“An official diocesan pilgrimage could enhance one’s faith, spiritual life, and Mary’s place in our collective and individual Christian commitment,” the diocese states on their website. “A pilgrimage is a family meeting, a gathering of the whole diocese around the Virgin Mary and Jesus. As a church, we gather around what we all care most about; our devotion to Mary as we all look to Christ.

The Ava Maria grotto, originally named the Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes in St Malo became a place of regular pilgrimage in 1951.

In 2019, the archdiocese declared it a diocesan sanctuary and the site of the annual diocesan pilgrimage.

Organizers say the pilgrimage brings cultures together including Francophones, Anglophones, Vietnamese, Eritreans, Hispanics and Filipinos.

“In their respective cultures there is a strong tradition of Marian devotion,” they said.