The Occasion

Cruel and unjust restrictions on the celebration of Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), having taken effect last fall, continue to plague the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of Washington, as well as many other places throughout the world.

On Saturday, September 17, 2022, the Arlington Latin Mass Society (ALMS) led a group of 300 Catholics on a pilgrimage of penance and reparation for the destruction of the Western liturgical patrimony, and in support of its full and immediate restoration, in honor of the 15th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, the motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI, which in 2007 had liberated the TLM for all Catholics.

So long as the Christifideles continue to suffer under these restrictions, it will remain necessary to make public acts of penance and reparation, and to witness boldly and openly to the beauty and evangelistic power of the traditional Roman Rite liturgy. And so the National Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage will continue until unfettered access to the Latin Mass is restored to the faithful.

The Pilgrimage

Our pilgrimage will begin at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Va. From there, pilgrims will walk to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. The route is a little more than five (5) miles and is expected to take two (2) to three (3) hours. Those who cannot make the journey on foot are encouraged to arrive at St. Matthew's by 1 p.m. to join in prayer. For more details, please see The Plan. 

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