History

It was in 2011 that the Latin Mass Society of Beaumont came up with the idea of organizing the pilgrimage, a centuries’ old tradition in the Catholic Faith, by walking to little known local Holy Shrines of the Blessed Virgin Mary to connect with other Faithful, to pray and evangelize in the public square during the Holy Season leading up to Easter.  This inaugural pilgrimage came to fruition in 2012 and grew each year (except for the year of 2021 which was not permitted due to the Covid-19 lockdown).  For those who never knew of their presence in South Jefferson County they were amazed to discover such beautiful holy shrines, culturally unique, that gave honor to Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, for her role in salvation by responding “yes” to the will of God.  

 

Several years of the Annual Lenten Pilgrimage were lent the support of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish from Vidor, TX and her Pastor, Father Paul Sumler. The 2012 pilgrimage borrowed from Good Friday Pilgrimage Orange County Catholics their moving wooden cross on wheels to carry the five miles between Marian Shrines. The wooden cross was later replaced with the statue of Our Lady being carried on an ornate bier (a moveable frame), designed and built by a priest, who was at that time as a recent Architect graduate aspiring to attend Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a Society of Apostolic Life in the Catholic Church in Denton, Nebraska.