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Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage Draws Thousands in Washington
Confirmed
In Short: The fourth annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, hosted by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, drew an estimated 4,500 people to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.
The fourth annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, hosted by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, drew an estimated 4,500 people to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Tens of thousands more joined via livestream.
The event included opportunities for Eucharistic adoration and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, with pilgrims participating in a nine-month novena that began on Jan. 31.
Father Patrick Briscoe, promoter general for social communication of the Province of St. Joseph, noted that the pilgrimage has grown each year, with greater enthusiasm from participants.
Pilgrims like Lauren Rodriguez, who traveled from Miami, praised the event's beauty and the opportunity for dedicated prayer. 'For someone like me who’s so busy, it’s a day dedicated to prayer, to soak it in, receive the graces,' Rodriguez said.
Father John Paul Kern, executive director of the Dominican Friars Foundation, emphasized the pilgrimage's significance in fostering a relationship with God through the Rosary. 'Our Lady brings us closer to him and reveals something to us about her son in a very special way with him here at this event,' Kern said.
The pilgrimage aims to address the shifting spiritual landscape of the United States by calling attention to the need for prayer and spiritual growth. 'We recognized a great need for ourselves as American Catholics in this present moment, a sense of urgency for prayer, for growth in the spiritual life,' Father Briscoe said.
The event's significance is intertwined with the Basilica’s history and the Catholic University of America, with speakers emphasizing the Rosary’s role in leading people closer to Jesus Christ.
Father Sebastian White, editor in chief of Magnificat, highlighted the pilgrimage’s role in uniting Catholics across the United States. 'The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage aims to rejuvenate devotion to the Rosary and foster a sense of unity among Catholics,' he said.
The pilgrimage’s success is also attributed to the promotion of the Rosary through events like a recent webinar hosted by Kathryn Jean Lopez, featuring Dominican Friars Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, Father Aquinas Guilbeau, and Father Sebastian White.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the event's impact on their spiritual lives. 'It’s incredibly peaceful for as many activities that there are throughout the day,' one pilgrim said.
The Dominican order, founded by St. Dominic de Guzmán in 1216, has a special relationship with the Rosary, with tradition holding that Mary entrusted its promotion to St. Dominic.
The pilgrimage’s success underscores the enduring appeal of the Rosary in the United States, with participants from diverse backgrounds coming together to pray and reflect.
What's confirmed
- The fourth annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, hosted by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, drew an estimated 4,500 people to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Tens of thousands more joined via livestream.
- The event included opportunities for Eucharistic adoration and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, with pilgrims participating in a nine-month novena that began on Jan. 31.
- Father Patrick Briscoe, promoter general for social communication of the Province of St. Joseph, noted that the pilgrimage has grown each year, with greater enthusiasm from participants.
- Pilgrims like Lauren Rodriguez, who traveled from Miami, praised the event's beauty and the opportunity for dedicated prayer. 'For someone like me who’s so busy, it’s a day dedicated to prayer, to soak it in, receive the graces,' Rodriguez said.
- Father John Paul Kern, executive director of the Dominican Friars Foundation, emphasized the pilgrimage's significance in fostering a relationship with God through the Rosary. 'Our Lady brings us closer to him and reveals something to us about her son in a very special way with him here at this event,' Kern said.
- The pilgrimage aims to address the shifting spiritual landscape of the United States by calling attention to the need for prayer and spiritual growth. 'We recognized a great need for ourselves as American Catholics in this present moment, a sense of urgency for prayer, for growth in the spiritual life,' Father Briscoe said.
- The event's significance is intertwined with the Basilica’s history and the Catholic University of America, with speakers emphasizing the Rosary’s role in leading people closer to Jesus Christ.
- Father Sebastian White, editor in chief of Magnificat, highlighted the pilgrimage’s role in uniting Catholics across the United States. 'The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage aims to rejuvenate devotion to the Rosary and foster a sense of unity among Catholics,' he said.
- The pilgrimage’s success is also attributed to the promotion of the Rosary through events like a recent webinar hosted by Kathryn Jean Lopez, featuring Dominican Friars Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, Father Aquinas Guilbeau, and Father Sebastian White.
- Participants expressed their appreciation for the event's impact on their spiritual lives. 'It’s incredibly peaceful for as many activities that there are throughout the day,' one pilgrim said.
- The Dominican order, founded by St. Dominic de Guzmán in 1216, has a special relationship with the Rosary, with tradition holding that Mary entrusted its promotion to St. Dominic.
- The pilgrimage’s success underscores the enduring appeal of the Rosary in the United States, with participants from diverse backgrounds coming together to pray and reflect.
What's still developing
- A man bows his head over clasped hands while seated in the church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., for the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno “The rosary is something truly unique and indescribably precious,” he told EWTN News.
- “We were just confirmed in March, so we haven’t done any pilgrimages yet,” she said.
- They involve their young children as much as possible: Her son does his best to pray along while their daughters, she said, say “Amen” at the end.
- “She leads the way to Jesus, to heaven, to our eternal happiness, Godward,” he told the crowd.