By Kevin Roman
On March 7, 2026, Catholics gathered in Port Arthur, Tex., for the fourteenth Annual Lenten Pilgrimage of Southeast Texas. The pilgrimage is a five-mile course visiting two churches, two shrines and one cemetery. Amid constant threat of rainfall and occasional fierce winds, many saw the occasion as a chance to join their sufferings with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Statue of Our Lord scourged and crowned with thorns done by a TFP member.
Members of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) were present at the pilgrimage wearing the TFP’s red capes. Battling the wind, the TFP volunteers carried their iconic eighteen-foot red standard from start to finish.
Starting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and Shrine, the pilgrims gathered before a seventeen-foot statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A priest led the crowd in opening prayers, followed by a pilgrim blessing.
With the pilgrimage officially started, the pilgrims marched to their first stop, Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. During this stop, there was a short fish fry lunch break, which helped to tide over the pilgrims for the rest of the trek.
New to this year’s pilgrimage was the presence of two statues brought by TFP volunteers. The first was a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima, carried on a litter and adorned with flowers. The second was an impressive statue of Our Lord scourged and crowned with thorns. With Our Lady in front and Our Lord following, the pilgrims were motivated to push ahead.
Christian Edmonds, one of the pilgrims carrying Our Lord, stated, “We have to defend the truths of our Faith regarding holy images! We see the destruction of many holy images and churches in our days, and bringing images to the public square is a way to defend and promote them.”
He continued, “Living our Faith in public is so important! Many only want to live the Faith in private. Living our Faith in private is great, but living it in public is just as important, if not more important.”
During the whole pilgrimage, pilgrims recited the Holy Rosary, sang many hymns and prayed litanies to Our Lady and the saints. At the Catholic Calvary Cemetery, the pilgrims paid their respects to the faithful departed and prayed for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
After visiting the cemetery, the group arrived at Saint James Catholic Church, where they prayed the Stations of the Cross. The Most Reverend David L. Toups, Bishop of Beaumont, joined the pilgrims at Saint James and led the pilgrimage to the final shrine, the Queen of Peace Shrine.
As the pilgrims arrived at the end, a light drizzle fell over them. Having reached their final destination, the pilgrims received a final blessing from Bishop Toups.
“Our Faith is being so persecuted in our days,” said Elvia Leyva, one of the pilgrims. “That’s why we must bring our Faith to the public square where everyone can see us. Just today, I saw many bystanders who saw us and made the Sign of the Cross. It is proof that this pilgrimage is having an effect and that these types of events can influence and ultimately change society.”
Indeed, this pilgrimage was a true example of putting faith into action during the Lenten season.