The Catholic Times
CV NEWS FEED // On June 28, pilgrims on the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage visited the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient, Ohio, bringing Christ’s presence to the inmates.
By the time they arrive in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress, which runs from July 17 to 21, the priests, lay pilgrims, and religious sisters on the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will have journeyed through 18 dioceses and eight states.
According to The Catholic Times, seven of the 60 days on the journey from Connecticut to Indiana were spent in the Diocese of Columbus, where in addition to visiting the elderly at the Mother Angeline McCrory Manor, the group was able to spend time at the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient.
According to Fr. Roger Landry, chaplain of the Seton route, this is the first time on any of the four routes that they were allowed to enter a prison and speak to the inmates.
The pilgrims were able to have Mass and a procession at the prison, and, afterward, had the opportunity to talk with the men, hear their stories, and collect prayer intentions.
Dominic Carstens, a pilgrim from Wyoming and a student at Wyoming Catholic College, described the time spent at the McCrory Manor and the Pickaway Correctional as the most memorable in the Diocese.
Carstens explained that both experiences were profound because, just as Christ visited the outskirts of society during His time on earth, He is present in places like prisons and among the elderly.
“The love of Christ can get through any wall or gate,” Carstens said. “He will go to you when you’re 95 years old living in a nursing home or when you’re incarcerated.”
Zoe Dongas, a pilgrim from New York, also highlighted the visits to the prison and McCrory Manor as two of the most significant experiences for her in the diocese.
Dongas found celebrating Mass in the correctional institution particularly moving, describing it as having the same sense of faith and presence of the Lord as any great cathedral or church, despite the bright lights and limited resources of the room.
“I just want you to know that there’s something unique going on here in the Diocese of Columbus,” Fr. Landry emphasized. “God’s really working. Jesus is very much loved. Never take that for granted.”
