TIA's Pilgrimages

On June 9-10, 2026, Tradition in Action hosted its 3^rd pilgrimage to honor Our Lady of Bethlehem in Mission San Carlos Borremeo in Carmel-by-the-Sea. At 9 a.m. a large group of pilgrims met at the old wagon at Mission Ranch Hotel to begin the procession up the hill to the Basilica where Our Lady reigns in the side chapel.

Our Lady of Bethlehem is the oldest statue of the Virgin Mary in California, and second-oldest in our Country. She came with Frey Junípero Serra on the Holy Expedition of 1769, stayed one year in San Diego, and then found her permanent home in Carmel, the Mother Mission and the one most loved by Frey Junípero, because it reminded him of his home on Mallorca Island, Spain. Today, Our Lady of Bethlehem is being "re-discovered," and growing numbers of pilgrims are making their way to her Chapel to implore her intercession in these troubling times.

So, the sleepy town of Carmel woke up on June 9 to the sight of a solemn procession led by three clergy and five altar servers. The line of over 100 singing pilgrims – men, women, children – stretched out long, twice as long, in fact, as last year's.

Carmel Mission pastor Fr. Paul Murphy graciously allowed the pilgrims access to the Chapel and grounds on this Tuesday when the Mission is normally closed. So, without the hustle and bustle of tourists, the pilgrims could be with Our Lady in silence or honoring her with songs until 1 p.m.

Reaching the Basilica’s side door, brilliant with a magenta bougainvillea, the pilgrims entered, eager to catch the first sight of Our Lady, who regally dominates in the side chapel. At the time of Fr. Serra, she stood over the main altar, where he could look up to her at every Mass and implore her needed intercession for the many obstacles – sometimes seemingly insurmountable – that he faced establishing the first nine Missions of California.


Our Lady’s face was kind and maternal welcoming her children, many who traveled long distances to visit her. This year there were groups from San Diego, the Los Angeles area, Texas and Louisiana, as well as a growing group of Carmel residents, so surprised and pleased to find their statue thus honored.


One of Carmel residents who joined the pilgrimage told us later that she was overjoyed to find the expression of Our Lady so warm, her face so radiant, and her eyes as if sparkling. She visits the Queen often, and at times her face is distant, at times even severe. Our Lady was clearly pleased to find this large assemblage who came to honor her and her beloved Divine Son who rests so lightly in her arms.


Entering the main Basilica our eyes were drawn to the magnificent restored reredos at the high altar with the scene of Jesus Crucified, Our Lady and St. John. Surrounding the altar are Saints specially honored by the California Missions: The Immaculate Conception, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Bonaventure. All the statues are original to the Mission, ordered by Fr. Serra; they were returned to the Mission by the descendents of early Carmel and Monterey residents who had carefully guarded them after the church fell into ruins and the ceiling collapsed in 1851.


On the Gospel side of the altar, we venerated the remains of Fr. Serra, discovered during the restoration of the Basilica. To the right of the altar are pieces of the wood casket in which his body lay, unknown and forgotten for so long until a team of archaeologists found it in 1943 during the Mission restoration that started in the 1930s.


The pilgrims had the privilege to assist at the solemn high Mass of Corpus Christi, said within the octave of this important feast day. Mr. Rene Widman and Mr. Francisco de la Pava sang the Mass of the Angels (Missa de Angelis). Its simplicity and beauty were accentuated in the old Mission ambience and world renowned acoustics of the Basilica.


During the sermon, preached from the Mission pulpit by Fr. Jacob Hsieh, he reminded us that this was the very Mass celebrated in the 18^th century by Fr. Serra, the same words, the same rubrics, the same gestures.

His voice resounded through the building: “Our Lady of Bethlehem has called you to Carmel. You must turn to her and give her everything, ask her for everything. You cannot underestimate the power of her gaze.”

He also described the deep connection between Ven. Mary of Agreda and the Franciscan missionaries who founded and conquered California for the glory of God and His Holy Mother.


The Ita Missa est was intoned, and the Serenade to Our Lady began in the Chapel, with beautiful songs in English, Spanish and Latin, brought together in a thick songbook by Miss Salwa Bachar, who accompanied the singing with her guitar. This was one of the favorite and most cherished parts of the pilgrimage day, a time for each one to kneel under the tender gaze of Our Lady of Bethlehem.


It seemed as if she was looking into the heart of each pilgrim, giving comfort and assistance. The generosity of Our Lady cannot be outdone, St. Louis de Montfort tells us, and on that day in her Chapel each pilgrim keenly felt the reward of their efforts and sacrifices to be with her.


At 1 p.m. the group regathered at Crespi Hall on the Mission grounds for a lunch, prepared again this year by Miss Barbara Dimond and several helpers. TIA Secretary Mr. Patrick Odou thanked the “pilgrimage welcome team” for their generosity: Fr. Paul Murphy, events director Dr. Laura Swingle, Mr. Ariel Solazano who gives his support each year to the endeavor, the indefatigable Barbara Dimond, Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Sandra Hebert, who hosted six pilgrims from San Diego in their home, and Misses Rachel and Elizabeth Lozowski, who purchased and arranged the flowers for Our Lady.

The first speaker for the afternoon was Mr. Mark Dwyer, a former military officer who teaches Church History and Moral Theology in Tyler, Texas. His talk on the life of Fr. Junipero Serra and history of the statue of Our Lady of Bethlehem provided the historical backdrop to help the pilgrims understand the significance of this historical statue and the role she played in the life of Fr. Serra.


Mr. Nicholas Bassirpour followed with a lively and inspirational talk giving ideas for how Californians can celebrate our Saints, and especially our patroness Our Lady of Bethlehem. He also showed how Fr. Serra was a counter-revolutionary, fighting the Enlightenment thinking of his time. The title of his talk was the favorite expression of Frey Serra: ‘Siempre adelante! Nunca atras!’ [Always forward! Never back!]

These talks will be posted in the next few weeks on our new Pilgrimage Page still under construction.


The topic of Fr. Jacob’s talk was the influence of Ven. Mary of Agreda on California. Ven. Mary of Agreda’s Letter to the Missionaries in America, written in 1631, was key in influencing Fr. Serra and many of his companions to volunteer to come to the New World to evangelize the natives. Fr. Serra’s personal devotion to Our Lady was deep, and he would often quote her and invoke her help.


Fr. Jacob also explained that there is historical evidence that Ven. Mary of Agreda bilocated to Mission Santa Cruz some 150 years before the arrival of the Franciscans in the 18^th century. You can read this history in TIA's California Mission Booklet, available in pdf form in our online Library.

Dr. Marian Horvat, pilgrimage director, closed the day giving brief snippets of some of the many miracles and marvels of the California Missions.

In the next article we will look at photos from the Rosary Walk and the veneration of the Portola-Crespi Cross off Carmel Bay, which took place Wednesday morning June 10.

To be continued

Volume I	Volume II	Volume III
Volume IV	Volume V	Volume VI
Volume VII	Volume VIII	Volume IX
Volume X	Volume XI	Special Edition

Collection |  Home  |  Books |  CDs  |  Search  |  Contact Us  |  Donate
____________________________________________________________________________
© 2002-    Tradition in Action, Inc.   All Rights Reserved