THE ARCHDIOCESE ANNOUNCES PILGRIMAGE “CAMINO: A WALK WITH JESUS” APRIL 2 TO CELEBRATE 250 YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY IN L.A.
February 23, 2022  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

—The 11-mile walk from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is part of the yearlong celebration of the “Forward in Mission” Jubilee — 

As part of the ongoing celebrations for the “Forward in Mission” Jubilee Year commemorating 250 years of Catholic faith in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, all are invited to join Archbishop José H. Gomez on the spiritual pilgrimage, “Camino: A Walk with Jesus,” on Saturday, April 2 starting at 9 a.m. at the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, 428 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776, and ending with a closing prayer service at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple Street in downtown Los Angeles. The pilgrimage will feature the relics of St. Mother Teresa, St. Pope John Paul II and St. Frances X. Cabrini, all who visited Los Angeles and walked with Angelenos in their lifetime.

“Walking can be a spiritual exercise; a pilgrimage from one place to another expresses our journey with Jesus to the Father in the Spirit,” said Father Parker Sandoval, vice chancellor of the Archdiocese and a lead organizer of the Jubilee Year. “The ‘Camino’ pilgrimage is an opportunity to show that the Church is alive in the streets of Los Angeles. As we walk, we will pray and witness to our faith in Jesus Christ.” 

The 11-mile walk will include rest and water stops at six parishes along the route, including All Souls, All Saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe (Rose Hill), Our Lady Help of Christians, St. Peter, and Our Lady Queen of Angels (La Placita). Free lunch will be provided at Cathedral High School, and shuttles for the return trip to the mission will be available for free. Beginning at 8 a.m., pilgrims can view the progress of the renovation of the interior of the San Gabriel Mission Church damaged by arson in summer 2020.

The Jubilee Year, “Forward in Mission,” runs from September 11, 2021, to September 10, 2022, to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first church in what is now the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. During this special time, the faithful are encouraged to go on pilgrimage to designated sites, including Mission San Gabriel and the Cathedral, to pray and obtain a special blessing. The full list of pilgrimage sites across the tri-county Archdiocese including Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is available at forwardinmission.com/pilgrimage-sites.  For more information about the pilgrimage and to register, please visit forwardinmission.com.

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Under the spiritual leadership of Archbishop José H. Gomez, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest in the United States, serving the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara, covering approximately 9,000 square miles in 120 cities. The nearly 5 million Catholics in the Archdiocese come from some 70 countries and from every continent. Weekly Masses are celebrated in 42 languages throughout 288 parishes, and more than 73,000 students attend an Archdiocesan Catholic elementary or high school. For the latest news, events and to subscribe for media alerts, visit media.la-archdiocese.org.