PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULA UMAÑA

ATLANTA—St. Joseph Church in Dalton collaborated with Catholic speaker and EWTN host Paula Umaña to host a two-day pilgrimage for the annual Festival del Divino Niño.

Set in Alabama, pilgrims spent Sept. 4-5 visiting EWTN Studios, St. Bernard Abbey and Ave Maria Grotto and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The pilgrimage began with a visit to EWTN Studios in Irondale, where Mother Angelica founded the Eternal Word Television Network in 1981. Pilgrims attended a televised Mass and a guided tour of the studios.

“For many participants, walking through the studios was much more than a tour,” Umaña said. “It was a powerful reminder of what God can accomplish through faith, obedience and complete trust in Divine Providence.”

Umaña, host of EWTN’s “Gifts of Hope” series, offered reflections encouraging pilgrims to trust in God and persevere through life’s trials. She is a former professional tennis player from Costa Rica, speaker and author. After a neurological illness left her paralyzed, Umaña began sharing her testimony of faith and hope with Catholic audiences.

Pilgrims stand together during their visit to EWTN Studios in Irondale, Ala. The group traveled for a two-day pilgrimage to visit sacred sites and celebrate the Festival del Divino Niño. Photo courtesy of Paula Umaña

The group also visited St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman. The stop at the Benedictine monastery included a quiet setting for prayer and a spiritual reflection from Father Linus Klucsarits, OSB, prior of St. Bernard Abbey.

While at the monastery, the group visited Ave Maria Grotto, a four-acre hillside garden featuring miniature reproductions of famous churches, shrines and sacred places from around the world.

The Ave Maria Grotto invited pilgrims to appreciate the rich heritage of the Church while surrounded by trees, flowers and winding pathways.

On Sept. 5, the pilgrimage continued at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, founded by Mother Angelica and dedicated to Eucharistic adoration.

The pilgrims then participated in the annual Festival del Divino Niño, a joyful celebration that brought together roughly 1,500 Catholics from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Chicago and other communities.

The festival included Mass, prayer, music, a procession, children’s blessings, confession, adoration, spiritual talks and a healing service. Families gathered in an expression of faith and devotion to the child Jesus.

Umaña, one of the festival’s featured speakers, delivered a message encouraging families to approach Jesus with the humility, confidence and trust of a child.

“It was amazing to see people from Chicago, Florida, North Carolina and many other places together in our faith,” Juanita Cortinas, faith formation director at St. Joseph Church, said. “The Holy Spirit was definitely there.”

Umaña shared that what began as a short trip from Georgia became a profound experience of Catholic community and renewed faith.

“The pilgrimage demonstrated that families and parish groups do not have to travel across the world to encounter beautiful Catholic sacred places,” Umaña said.

To organize this pilgrimage with your family, parish or group, contact Umaña at PaulaSpeaker.com or paulaUmañaspeaker@gmail.com.