Faithful invited to journey in the footsteps of St. Juan Diego

ANNANDALE - As part of this year’s spiritual preparation for the consecration of the Diocese of Metuchen to Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, the faithful, especially families and young people, are invited to participate in “The Way of St. Juan Diego.” The nine-mile walking pilgrimage on September 21 will begin at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Parish.
A pilgrimage is a sacred journey that is undertaken to draw closer to God. Seen as a sacrificial expedition of faith, pilgrims set out on their trek for several reasons: to do penance for sins, to ask for some special grace for oneself or another or to give thanks to God for graces received.
In calling the faithful to make a pilgrimage as part of the diocese’s year of spiritual renewal, Bishop James F. Checchio has done so to ask for the grace of a ‘New Evangelization.’ Recognizing that the overwhelming majority of the baptized are no longer living vibrant faith lives, the bishop is encouraging all of us to invoke the Blessed Mother’s intervention for a new outpouring of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost, so we can be empowered to “set a fire in the heart of our world.”
  Since Our Lady of Guadalupe has been honored with the titles, ‘The Star of the New Evangelization’ and ‘The Patroness of the Americas,’ she is a most powerful intercessor for us. In addition, St. Juan Diego, her chosen messenger, is integral to the renewal of our diocese as he models a zealous, lay missionary disciple.
An indigenous convert to Christianity 500 years ago, at the inception of the evangelization of the ‘New World’ (present day Mexico), St. Juan Diego was privileged to be visited by The Blessed Mother on several occasions. She tasked him with a message for the bishop: “tell him that I want him to build my sacred little house on this hill so that I may reveal my Son.” In obedience to her, he journeyed the nine miles on foot to the bishop’s house multiple times, where he was met with less than open arms and credibility. On his final visit he came with the ‘sign’ the bishop had asked for, as well as one he had not – the miraculous imprint of the Ever Virgin Mother of God on his cloak (commonly known as the tilma). The result of this miracle was that nine million indigenous Mexicans were baptized within eight years and the evangelization of our continent exploded. St. Juan Diego’s acceptance of the mission he was given brought faith in Mary’s Son, Jesus Christ, the One True God, to the masses in a way that had not occurred before nor since.   
 Will you accept Bishop Checchio’s invitation and become a Juan Diego? He recognizes that spiritual renewal among the baptized is crucial for a ‘New Evangelization” to commence in the diocese. Our nine-mile walk will help prepare us to become lay missionary disciples.
The pilgrimage will conclude at Immaculate Conception Parish, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Checchio.
Registration for the pilgrimage is $20 per person (one registration form per person) before Aug. 30; $25 after Aug. 30. Lunch and dinner is included. The deadline for registration is Sept. 13.
Checks should be made payable to The Diocese of Metuchen and mailed to: The Diocese of Metuchen, Office of Evangelization, PO Box 191, Metuchen, NJ 08840
Online registration, mail-in registration forms in English and Spanish, and parental release forms in English and Spanish may be found at www.LightingHeartsOnFire.org/Walking-Pilgrimage
For questions, contact the diocese at (732) 529-7932 or e-mail [email protected]
D’Angiolillo is director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization