DC Pilgrimage
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Pilgrimage to the
Basilica of the National Shrine
of the Immaculate ConceptionWashington, DC
September 20, 2025In Celebration of the Jubilee Holy Year 2025
with Bishop James F. Checchio
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There will be an information session available for all Bus Captains coming up
on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 6:30pm
at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway.
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DC Pilgrimage Schedule
11:00am
Arrival of Pilgrims
Cafeteria and Gift Shop are open for early arrival12:00pm
Angelus and Welcome12:30pm
Time for personal prayer and reflection
Visit of the Basilica12:30pm to 1:45pm
Confession1:45pm
Musical Prelude2:15pm
Pre-Liturgical Procession
followed by Liturgical Procession2:30pm
Pilgrimage Mass4:30pm
Bus Departures
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Parish Bus Trips
If you are interested in participating in the Diocesan Pilgrimage and would like to join via one of the Parish Buses, please consider contacting one of the Parishes below to see if they have space available on their bus.
Shared
Bus ServiceCity/Town Parish Contact Email Phone Number * Baptistown Our Lady of Victories Garry Lacey gllacey339@gmail.com 908-310-0358 ** Bridgewater Blessed Sacrament Nancy Stoll parish@stmaryswatchung.org 732-754-1862 Carteret St. Joseph Sharon Salinas ssalinas@sjps.net 732-423-8132 *** Dunellen St. John the Evangelist Parish Office olfpiscataway@optonline.net 732-968-5555 East Brunswick St. Bartholomew Barbara Bunag bbunag@stbartseb.com 732-257-7722 Flemington St. Magdalen de Pazzi Cheryl Manfredonia cmanfredonia@stmagdalen.org 215-858-3582 Hillsborough Mary, Mother of God Darlene Machala office@marymotherofgod.org 908-874-8220 * Milford St. Edward the Confessor Garry Lacey gllacey339@gmail.com 908-310-0358 New Brunswick Holy Family Parish Fr. Thomas Ryan tryan@diometuchen.org 732-545-1681
ext. 1006*** Piscataway Our Lady of Fatima Parish Office olfpiscataway@optonline.net 732-968-5555 Plainsboro Queenship of Mary Nancy Wieck receptionist@qomchurch.org 609-799-7511 Somerset St. Matthias Claudette Gaspard gaspard17@aol.com 732-406-4118 Somerville Church of the
Immaculate ConceptionGrace Latosky gjl317@aol.com 908-385-5642 ** Warren Our Lady of the Mount Nancy Stoll parish@stmaryswatchung.org 732-754-1862 ** Watchung St. Mary-Stony Hill Nancy Stoll parish@stmaryswatchung.org 732-754-1862
*Shared Bus Baptistown and Milford
**Shared Bus Bridgewater and Warren and Watchung
***Shared Bus Dunellen and Piscataway
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If you are driving down to Washington DC, please enter the Basilica's address into your preferred Navigation App (Google Maps, Waze, etc.) or Car Navigation System:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Upon arrival, please note that there are two designated parking areas at the Basilica, where parking is free and available during hours of operation.
Parking Option 1: The primary visitor parking lot is located directly to the left of the Basilica, next to the Rosary Garden. The lot can be accessed via Harewood Rd NE, just north of Michigan Ave NE. You’ll see a sign at the entrance that reads: “National Shrine Parking: Visitors.”
Parking Option 2: When arriving at the main entrance to the Basilica via Michigan Ave NE, there are a limited number of parking spaces available to the right, adjacent to the east side of the building.
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To purchase a train ticket, please visit Amtrak's website.
Please select for your Destination:
Washington DC's Union Station (WAS)Major Train Station HubsIf you are opting to travel by train, the following stations offer multiple scheduled stops at these locations enroute to Washington DC's Union Station (WAS):
MetroPark (MET)
100 Middlesex Essex Turnpike, Iselin, NJ 08830
Trenton Transit Station (TRE)
72 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609-1238
Newark Penn Station (NWK)
1 Raymond Plaza West &, Market St, Newark, NJ 07102
If you select to travel by Train, please also visit the following tab for information on how to travel to the National Shrine via the METRO from Union Station:
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To purchase a train ticket, please visit Amtrak's website.
Please select for your Destination:
Washington DC's Union Station (WAS)
Other Train Station Hubs*
If you are opting to travel by train, the following stations offer a few scheduled stops with routes to Washington DC's Union Station (WAS):
New Brunswick (NBK)
French St &, Albany St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Princeton Junction (PJC)
2 Wallace Circle, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
If you select to travel by Train, please also visit the following tab for information on how to travel to the National Shrine via the METRO from Union Station:
*Please consult the Amtrak schedule to make plans in advance for these stations as very few stops are scheduled at these locations to Washington DC. And please consider travelling a day early on September 19th and planning an overnight stay in the Washington DC area if you choose to travel from one of these stations if you wish to get the full pilgrimage experience.
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To purchase a bus ticket, please visit Wanderu's website to find available bus routes to Washington D.C. You may alternatively find train tickets from this website.
Please select for your Destination:
Washington DC's Union Station (WAS)Bus Route*
If you are opting to travel by Bus, the following stations offer bus routes to Washington DC:
New Brunswick
French St &, Albany St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Newark Penn Station
1 Raymond Plaza West &, Market St, Newark, NJ 07102
When searching, please enter either of the above location to find scheduled bus trips from these locations to Washington D.C. Note that you might need to make a transfer to another bus or train at certain stops based on what route you have reserved if it is not a direct route.
If you select to travel by Bus, please also visit the following tab for information on how to travel to the National Shrine via the METRO from Union Station:
*Please consult the bus schedule to make plans in advance in order arrive in a timely manner. If you choose to travel by bus, you may need to consider travelling a day early on September 19th and planning an overnight stay in the Washington DC area if you wish to get the full pilgrimage experience.
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Welcome to Washington DC!
Upon arrival to Union Station via Bus or Train, you will have access to travel via DC's METRO Public Transit System. You can travel to the National Shrine and throughout DC either by Bus or Rail.
Rail- Proceed to the Union Station METRO Station.
- Board the RED Line towards Glenmont.
- Get off at the Brookland-CUA METRO Station.
- Walk Southwest down Michigan Ave NE for about 10-11 minutes until
you reach the National Shrine.
To return to Union Station:Board the RED Line towards Shady Grove until you reach Union Station METRO Station.
Bus- Exit Union Station to Columbus Circle.
- From Columbus Circle walk down E St NE to the Bus Stop located on the corner of N CAPITOL ST NW & E ST NE.
- Board the D30 Bus Line to FORT TOTTEN.
- When you see the Bus is heading to MICHIGAN AVE NE & IRVING ST NE, please be ready to get off at the following stop.
- Get off at the MICHIGAN AVE NE & 4TH ST NE and you will arrive by the Dominican House of Studies & Catholic University's Theological College on your right with the National Shrine located on the other side of the street.
To return to Union Station:Board the D30 Bus Line to L'ENFANT PLAZA from the MICHIGAN AVE NE & GIBBONS HALL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY ENTR Bus Stop.Get off at N CAPITOL ST NW & G PL NE. Then, walk down N Capitol St NW and make a left onto G St NE. Proceed until you see Union Station from across First St NE.
You may also visit the METRO's Trip Planner page to plan out your route to the National Shrine.
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A Lookback on Our Pilgrimage to the National Shrine for the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese
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Pilgrimage Resources
- Order for the Blessing of Pilgrims - Minister's Text
- Order for the Blessing of Pilgrims - People's Text
- Order for the Blessing of Travelers
- Order for the Blessing of Pilgrims - Minister's Text (Spanish)
- Order for the Blessing of Pilgrims - People's Text (Spanish)
- Order for the Blessing of Travelers (Spanish)
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Extending your stay in the DC area?
If you are planning to travel independently and extend your pilgrimage before or after the Diocesan Pilgrimage, we recommend some pilgrimage spots for your consideration to visit. Please visit their website for their liturgy schedule (or hours of operation to the public) prior to making your visit.
"A national shrine that sustains this 800-year mission of the Franciscan Friars in the Holy Land by serving as a “Little Jerusalem” in America.""A place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal to feed the minds and souls of its visitors. It is a place of pilgrimage with a first-class relic of St. John Paul II’s blood available for veneration. A major permanent exhibit highlights significant events in the life of Pope John Paul II and his momentous influence as the spiritual father of one billion Catholics and as a world leader."A monastery in Washington DC following the Benedictine monastic tradition of the Catholic Church.The Mother Church for the Church of Washington D.C. Named after St. Matthew, the patron saint of civil servants.The Local Parish of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia serving the spiritual needs of the Ukrainian community of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (an Eastern Catholic Rite) in the Washington D.C. area.The Local Parish of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn serving the spiritual needs of the Maronite community (an Eastern Catholic Rite) in the Washington D.C. area.The seminary for the Dominican Order forming friars in the Order's tradition.
*Designated as a Jubilee Pilgrimage Site by the local bishop (https://www.usccb.org/jubilee2025/pilgrimage-sites-us).
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