Like the cardinals assembling in Rome for the upcoming conclave, some came from far-flung places and some from nearby areas. But instead of gathering to elect a new pope, the estimated 600 to 700 people at the 22nd annual Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on May 3, 2025 came from several different states and with family roots in many different countries, all united in faith for a single purpose.
“Our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary binds us together as one,” said Patrick Realiza, one of the emcees.
Moments earlier, 10 young men from St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Parish in Olney Maryland, played traditional drums in a pulsating beat at the front of the basilica’s sanctuary.
Then while the congregation sang the processional hymn “Here I Am, Lord,” groups of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics processed down the National Shrine’s main aisle, led by pilgrims carrying arches of colorful crepe-paper flowers, followed by men and women from different states carrying banners and portraits and sculptures of Mary connected to the countries of their families’ origins, including Our Lady of Antipolo for the Filipino Catholic community, Our Lady of Vailankanni for the Indian Catholic community, Our Lady of La Vang for the Vietnamese Catholic community, and Our Lady of Lourdes for the Myanmar/Burmese Catholic community. The procession also included marchers expressing devotion to Our Lady of China, Our Lady of Korea, Our Lady of Indonesia and Our Lady of Laos.
The pilgrims came from throughout Washington, D.C., and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia areas, and also from North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond.
Before the Mass, priests heard Confessions in five different languages.
The Call to Prayer included sacred songs and expressive dance movements by the Indian Catholic Community of Maryland; the Montagnard Catholic Community of North Carolina representing indigenous people from the central highlands of Vietnam; the Chinese Catholic Community of New Jersey; and the Our Lady of La Vang Mission in Chantilly, Virginia.
Then a Burmese Catholic family from the Washington area – Marina Lee joined by her parents Maurice and Ada Lee – crowned a statue of Mary.
Msgr. Vito Buonanno, the director of pilgrimages at the National Shrine, greeted the pilgrims gathered there in the Easter season. “We turn to Mary, our mother, who will take us to her son, Jesus Christ,” he said. The priest noted that the basilica’s chapels and oratories and its works of art including sculptures and mosaics depict Mary under her various titles that she is known by throughout the world. He added, “She (Mary) is indeed the queen of nations.”
The priest offered a blessing for the pilgrims’ rosaries. Then the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary were led by Filipino Catholics from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia praying in Tagalog; Vietnamese Catholics from Richmond praying in that language; Filipino Catholics from the Archdiocese of Baltimore also praying in Tagalog; Syro-Malankara Eastern Rite Catholics from the Archdiocese of Washington praying in Malayalam, a language from India; and Cambodian Catholics also from the Archdiocese of Washington praying in Khmer.
Moments later, the Mass for the pilgrimage began, with Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Efren V. Esmilla, a native of the Philippines, serving as the main celebrant and homilist, and with the concelebrants including Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar.
The annual Mass was sponsored by the Asian and Pacific Catholic Network in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, with support from The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington's Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach.
Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, welcomed the pilgrims, noting that this year is a Jubilee Year of Hope in the Catholic Church, and “Mary is our Mother of Hope.”
Greeting the pilgrims gathered for the Mass, Bishop Esmilla said, “We are all blessed as we follow the Blessed Virgin Mary.” He encouraged people to greet each other with a smile, noting that Mother Teresa once said a smile is the start of love.
In his homily, Bishop Esmilla said, “Mary is our mother in faith,” and he pointed out how she said “yes” to being the mother of Jesus, cared for him as he grew up, became his first disciple, and offers today’s faithful an example of humility and selfless service that can inspire their daily interactions with others.
The bishop said devotion to Mary gives people strength to reflect Christ in their lives
“My fellow Asian and Pacific Island Catholics, we have a mission. We have a lot to share in this beautiful country,” Bishop Esmilla said, adding that the greatest gift they can share is “Christ, the way, the truth and the life, and the light of the world.”
Encouraging the pilgrims to live their faith, Bishop Esmilla said, “May you all be Christ-like in the world. May you shine his light in the world… (and) live and love like him.”
Concluding his homily, he asked the pilgrims “to always remember Mary in times of joy and in times of trial,” and like Mary, to open their hearts to follow God’s will.
Prayers of the faithful were then offered in Bengali, Khmer, Chinese, Korean, the Konkani language of India, Vietnamese, the Urdu language spoken in Pakistan and India, the Tamil language of South Asia, and English. The translation of the prayer in Bengali asked that “may Francis, our late pope, inspire us all in unity and love during this transition, to continue sharing the work of mercy and the gift of hope.”
The choirs at the Mass included the Amare Music Ministry from St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Springfield, Virginia, with its members singing songs in English, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The choir from the Indonesian Catholic Community also sang at the Mass.
After Communion, María del Mar Muñoz-Visoso, the executive director of the Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, praised the gathering as “a beautiful celebration of faith and Marian devotion.”
Bishop Esmilla led the pilgrims in praying a Hail Mary for the late Pope Francis.
“On May 7, the conclave will begin. Probably some of you are praying for a new pope who will be Asian,” the bishop said jokingly. He encouraged them to pray for all the cardinals in the conclave, that the Holy Spirit will guide them in electing a new pope.
Participants interviewed after the Mass reflected on what the pilgrimage meant to them.
Luke Sarmiento, the vice president of the Filipino Council of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, was joined by about 30 pilgrims. He said it was moving “to see the different ethnic groups praying together as one spiritual family.”
The pilgrimage for the Asian and Pacific Island Catholics is held to strengthen and support those communities “in our devotion to our Mother Mary and to strengthen our gift of faith,” he said.
Benedict Antonyraj, an emcee for the pilgrimage from St. Joseph Parish in Cockeysville, Maryland, said the gathering brings together different Asian and Pacific Island Catholic communities and provides an opportunity to “enjoy the beauty of each others’ cultures.”
He added, “It was really touching to provide honor to Mary. In this Easter season while we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, the whole story would not have been possible without her saying ‘yes.’”
Sister Dong Hong Marie Zhang, a Felician sister who serves as the liaison to the Chinese community of the Archdiocese of Newark, noted that about 18 Chinese Catholics came from there and from the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey.
“I just feel we need solidarity. We need to join our universal Church. We are part of one family. We share our cultures with our brothers and sisters and learn from others. We are one Church,” she said.
Noting that this is the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Catholic Church, Sister Dong Hong Marie Zhang said the Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgrimage reflected that hope. “We want to be a witness of God’s love and a witness of faith” in the world, she said.
