Faithful march across the river, over the bridge, to La Crosse during pilgrimage

Hundreds of pilgrims have arrived in La Crosse, as part of a long Midwestern journey taking them from northern Minnesota to a Catholic church congress happening next month in Indiana.

Priests and other church officials led followers on foot from Pettibone Island across the Cameron Avenue bridge into La Crosse on Friday. The pilgrimage looped through part of downtown to the La Crosse Center, where they gathered to attend a late morning service.

The group will visit the Shrine of Guadalupe outside La Crosse on Saturday, and spend a few more days traveling throughout the Diocese of La Crosse, heading toward Wausau and Green Bay before going along Lake Michigan and through the Chicago area.

This specific pilgrimage began at Lake Itasca in Minnesota on May 17th. The group visiting La Crosse plans to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 14th.