Camino de California Eucharistic pilgrimage set for June

17 days throughout California. 21 missions. 15 years of Jubilee sites. At least 20 eucharistic processions. More than 1,200 miles. And a convergence with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage culminating with the Feast of Corpus Christi. 

Catholics across California have planned one of the longest encounters of our faith in the state’s modern history – at least by the measures of time, mileage and meaning. The first-ever Camino de California commences on Friday, June 6 at Mission Solano in Sonoma and ends at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 22.  

“I really believe that Christ has called all of us to come together to bring Him physically, visibly present on the streets of California, in the best of neighborhoods, in the worst of neighborhoods, out in the fields with the farm workers, into the fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles, to show physically and visibly that Christ is with you when you hurt, when you fall, when you face tragedy, when you’re in the midst of joy,” says Sal Caruso, one of the main co-organizers of the pilgrimage.  

“It’s like having adoration for two weeks straight,” co-organizer Andy Allen adds.“We’re doing that in community with others. This is the opportunity for a eucharistic encounter for everyone.”  

Allen and Caruso both said that the genesis for the Camino de California came from an even longer eucharistic procession – one that traveled nationwide to Indianapolis last year – but neither one of them initially knew the other was discerning the same idea.  

“My wife and I were very fortunate to participate in and travel alongside pilgrims last summer in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. We got to Indianapolis. The pilgrimage experience was amazing. The congress was equally as amazing,” says Allen.  

“We heard Bishop Andrew Cozzens at the end announce that the 2025 pilgrimage would continue out towards Los Angeles for Corpus Christi weekend. We thought, ‘They’re coming out from Indianapolis. That’s one leg of the cross, kind of a benediction of the United States. The initial concept was that El Camino Real, the route of the 21 missions, would be that cross piece.”  

Caruso independently attended the same 2024 eucharistic congress, and then met up with about 15 pilgrims from the Diocese of San Jose a week later.  

“We started brainstorming and said, ‘Let’s do a Camino eucharistic pilgrimage throughout all of California, north to south, along the missions.’ I immediately contacted Kathleen Domingo at the California Conference of Bishops,” said Caruso.  

“About a couple of weeks later, she said, ‘You may want to contact Andy Allen. I think he’s doing virtually the exact same thing and has the exact same aspiring in his heart.’”  

Pilgrimage events in the Bay Area will include Mass on Saturday, June 7 at 9 a.m. with Oakland Bishop Michael C. Barber, S.J. at Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco. It will also offer a pair of Masses at Mission San Jose on Saturday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 at 8 a.m.  

Allen and Caruso emphasize that people can take part in one or more days of the pilgrimage, or walk and drive the entire route for all 17 days.  

“Like Mother Teresa said, ‘Come and see where you fit in.’ [See] where you want to be, but take an hour or two or three and come and adore Christ. Walk with Him,” said Caruso.  

“We’re always asking God for something, don’t we? How about if we turn it around and say, ‘God, I’m going to give one hour of my life to walk alongside of You.’”  

The Camino de California includes a blessing of the entire state of California in Monterrey, a two-day Eucharistic Congress at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, a combined Mass with both Camino de California and National Eucharistic Congress pilgrims at Mission San Diego, and eucharistic adoration at the site of the fires in Altadena, all with continual works of compassion and mercy planned for the entire route.  

Allen and Caruso have built a Santa Clara-based organization to make the Camino de California permanent, with plans for houses of hospitality similar to the Camino de Santiago in southwestern Europe.  

“We want to establish a Camino de California that will endure for all time,” Caruso explains. “This is not just a one-off that we’re interested in at all.”  

“We hope that this whole camino will be a blessing to our state,” says Allen.  

And Caruso shared, “I’d sum it up in one word: Adoremus. Let us adore Him.”  

• What: Camino de California Eucharistic Pilgrimage

• Where: All 21 California missions from Sonoma to San Diego, along with other sites 

• When: From pre-registration on June 5 in Sonoma to June 22 in Los Angeles

 How to get involved