WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The estimated 600 to 700 people at the 22nd annual Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception May 3 came from several different states and with family roots in many different countries, all united in faith for a single purpose.
“Our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary binds us together as one,” said Patrick Realiza, one of the emcees.
Moments earlier, 10 young men from St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Parish in Olney, Maryland, played traditional drums in a pulsating beat at the front of the basilica’s sanctuary.
While the congregation sang the processional hymn “Here I Am, Lord,” groups of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics processed down the national shrine’s main aisle, led by pilgrims carrying arches of colorful crepe-paper flowers.
Banners, Portraits, Sculptures
They were followed by men and women from different states carrying banners and portraits and sculptures of Mary connected to the countries of their families’ origins, including Our Lady of Antipolo for the Filipino Catholic community, Our Lady of Vailankanni for the Indian Catholic community, Our Lady of La Vang for the Vietnamese Catholic community, and Our Lady of Lourdes for the Myanmar/Burmese Catholic community.
The procession also included marchers expressing devotion to Our Lady of China, Our Lady of Korea, Our Lady of Indonesia and Our Lady of Laos.
The pilgrims came from throughout Washington and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia areas, and also from North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia.
Before the Mass, priests heard confessions in five different languages.
The Call to Prayer
The call to prayer included sacred songs and expressive dance movements by the Indian Catholic Community of Maryland; the Montagnard Catholic Community of North Carolina representing Indigenous people from the central highlands of Vietnam; the Chinese Catholic Community of New Jersey; and the Our Lady of La Vang Mission in Chantilly, Virginia.
Then a Burmese Catholic family from the Washington area — Marina Lee joined by her parents Maurice and Ada Lee — crowned a statue of Mary.
Msgr. Vito Buonanno, the director of pilgrimages at the national shrine, greeted the pilgrims.
‘Queen of Nations’
“We turn to Mary, our mother, who will take us to her son, Jesus Christ,” he said. The priest noted that the basilica’s chapels and oratories and its works of art including sculptures and mosaics depict Mary under her various titles that she is known by throughout the world. He added, “She (Mary) is indeed the queen of nations.”
The priest offered a blessing for the pilgrims’ rosaries. Then the glorious mysteries of the rosary were led by Filipino Catholics from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia praying in Tagalog; Vietnamese Catholics from Richmond praying in that language; Filipino Catholics from the Archdiocese of Baltimore also praying in Tagalog; Syro-Malankara Eastern-rite Catholics from the Archdiocese of Washington praying in Malayalam, a language from India; and Cambodian Catholics also from the Archdiocese of Washington praying in Khmer.
Moments later, the Mass for the pilgrimage began, with Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Efren V. Esmilla, a native of the Philippines, serving as the main celebrant and homilist, and with the concelebrants including Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar.
Asian and Pacific Catholic Network
The annual Mass was sponsored by the Asian and Pacific Catholic Network in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.
Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, welcomed the pilgrims, noting that this year is a Jubilee Year of Hope in the Catholic Church, and “Mary is our Mother of Hope.”
“We are all blessed as we follow the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Bishop Esmilla told the Massgoers. He encouraged people to greet each other with a smile, noting that Mother Teresa once said a smile is the start of love.
“Mary is our mother in faith,” the bishop said in his homily, pointing out how she said “yes” to being the mother of Jesus, cared for him as he grew up, became his first disciple, and offers today’s faithful an example of humility and selfless service that can inspire their daily interactions with others.
Mary Gives People Strength
Bishop Esmilla said devotion to Mary gives people strength to reflect Christ in their lives
“My fellow Asian and Pacific Island Catholics, we have a mission. We have a lot to share in this beautiful country,” Bishop Esmilla said, adding that the greatest gift they can share is “Christ, the way, the truth and the life, and the light of the world.”
Encouraging the pilgrims to live their faith, Bishop Esmilla said, “May you all be Christ-like in the world. May you shine his light in the world … (and) live and love like him.”
Concluding his homily, he asked the pilgrims “to always remember Mary in times of joy and in times of trial” and, like Mary, to open their hearts to follow God’s will.
Prayers of the Faithful
Prayers of the faithful were then offered in Bengali, Khmer, Chinese, Korean, the Konkani language of India, Vietnamese, the Urdu language spoken in Pakistan and India, the Tamil language of South Asia, and English. The translation of the prayer in Bengali asked that “may Francis, our late pope, inspire us all in unity and love during this transition, to continue sharing the work of mercy and the gift of hope.”
Before the Mass concluded, Bishop Esmilla led the pilgrims in praying a Hail Mary for the late Pope Francis and noted the opening of the conclave on May 7.
“Probably some of you are praying for a new pope who will be Asian,” the bishop said jokingly. He encouraged them to pray for all the cardinals in the conclave, that the Holy Spirit will guide them in electing a new pope.
This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington, and distributed through a partnership with OSV News. Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.
