Priests accompany Bishop Solis on pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop Oscar A. Solis, accompanied by many of the priests who minister in Utah, embarked on a pilgrimage to Mexico the second week of August to consecrate the Diocese of Salt Lake City to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“This ‘Jubilee Pilgrimage’ was a spiritual event for the diocese’s priests to strengthen their commitment to serving the faithful and renewing their faith,” Bishop Solis said.

 The consecration, which took place on Aug. 13 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, was live-streamed on the basilica’s YouTube and diocese’s Facebook page; this allowed thousands of faithful Catholics to participate virtually.

Among the priests who undertook the pilgrimage were three of the deans of the diocese, who responded to questions about their experience. 

Honestly, at first, I struggled with the idea of joining. I felt tired, burdened by the many responsibilities in the parish, and unsure whether I had the strength to go. But in a spirit of obedience to my bishop, I said “yes,” offering it to the Lord as a small act of faith and humility. Now, looking back, I can only thank God for the grace of that decision.

To be part of this pilgrimage was a profound gift. I learned that this gathering was historic – never before had 29 priests from the Diocese of Salt Lake City come together for a pilgrimage like this. It was truly an honor to be part of such a moment, to stand shoulder to shoulder with my brother priests in prayer, in fraternity and in joyful communion. It reminded me of Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

What a privilege it was to know my brother priests more deeply, not just as fellow workers in the vineyard, but as family. We laughed, we prayed, we shared our hearts. It filled me with joy. I returned with a renewed love for the priesthood, for my brother priests, and for the people we are called to serve.

The most striking moments of the pilgrimage centered around two shared meals.

The first and most sacred was the Holy Eucharist, celebrated in the beautiful churches of Puebla and Mexico City, to concelebrate the Holy Mass with the bishop and my fellow priests in those sacred spaces, especially at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It felt like a foretaste of heaven. There, Christ, our true and eternal Bread of Life, nourished us with his Body and Blood, binding us together as one presbyterate, one Church, one family. This is also the opportunity that I lifted the prayers and intentions of those people I served in our diocese.

The second meal was the simple but joyful meals we shared in hotels and restaurants. It wasn’t the food that made them memorable, but the laughter, the stories, the lightness of fraternity. These moments were deeply human and profoundly spiritual echoes of the Gospel meals Jesus shared with his disciples. My heart was filled with gratitude, and my love for my brother priests deepened in those conversations.

Words fall short in expressing the grace of that moment. I was overwhelmed with joy and reverence.

First, I had assumed we would be celebrating Mass in a side chapel, but we were granted the extraordinary privilege of offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the main altar of the basilica. To stand there with the bishop and my brother priests, lifting up the Eucharist in the very place where Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego, was an unspeakable honor.

Second, the act of consecrating the Diocese of Salt Lake City to Our Lady of Guadalupe was deeply moving. I felt a sacred weight in leading the consecration on behalf of our parishes – St. Joseph in Ogden, St. Florence in Huntsville, and the entire diocese. Even now, I feel chills remembering that moment. We entrusted ourselves completely to Mary, our Mother, knowing that she always leads us to her Son. As the Catechism teaches, “Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it” (CCC 964). It was under her mantle that we placed our diocese.

To my dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Let us never cease praying for one another. Through the powerful intercession of Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, may we all strive toward holiness and become the saints God created us to be.

Please pray for us, your priests; that we may never lead you to ourselves, but always closer to the Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Pray that we remain faithful servants, steadfast in joy and sacrifice, until the day the Lord calls us home.

And may we all, priests and lay faithful alike, walk together in unity, in charity, and in holiness, under the loving gaze of Our Mother Mary, always seeking the will of the Father.

Being part of this pilgrimage was profoundly moving. To travel with my brother priests and our bishop – not as individuals, but together as a presbyterate – was a reminder of the unity we share in our vocation. It was also a visible sign of our communion with the universal Church, as we visited places so central to the Catholic faith in the Americas. For me, it felt like stepping into the living history of our faith and offering it anew for our diocese in this Jubilee year as Pilgrims of Hope.

One of the most striking things for me was the Capilla del Rosario in Puebla. The sheer beauty of it – walls and ceiling entirely covered in gold leaf – was breathtaking. But even more than the art, what struck me was how faith and craftsmanship combined to glorify God. Standing there, I was reminded that our worship isn’t only words and rituals; it’s the best we can offer in every human expression – music, architecture, beauty. It pointed my heart toward heaven.

It’s hard to put into words. To stand before the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe and, with our bishop, consecrate the Diocese of Salt Lake City to her maternal care was overwhelming. I felt both small and deeply embraced. Small, because I realized how vast the Church is and how humbling it is to be entrusted with ministry in our corner of it. But embraced, because at that moment I felt Our Lady’s nearness – her protection, her intercession – and a renewed confidence that she is walking with our people.

My message would be this: Don’t be afraid to entrust yourself to Our Lady. She is a mother who always leads us to her Son. In this Jubilee Year, when the Church calls us to be Pilgrims of Hope, let us carry that hope into our homes, parishes and communities. What we experienced in Mexico – unity, beauty, deep faith – is not meant to stay there. It’s meant to inspire us here, so that our diocese can continue to grow as a family of faith under Our Lady’s mantle.

The pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a very meaningful experience for us, the diocesan priests. I had the privilege of participating in this journey guided by our bishop, Oscar Solis, and this was way much more than just a journey. It was walking together as priests, united in brotherhood, to ask the mother of Jesus for our whole diocese.

Participating in this pilgrimage was an act of deep communion and prayer. Walking together as brother priests, with our bishop, makes our priesthood brotherhood stronger. It allowed us to live first hand unity and mutual support, something essential for our ministry.

Besides strengthening our bonds, the pilgrimage was also an opportunity to connect with the Mexican culture and with the delicious food. A big part of our diocese is comprised of Mexican people and to get to know their traditions and their devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe helped us to better understand them and serve them. It was a way to reaffirm yes, even among our diversity, we are all united in faith under the care of the Virgin.

Being in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in front of the image of the Virgin, consecrating our diocese, it was a moment of profound emotion and peace. I felt that we were entrusting each person, each family and each community of our diocese to the best hands possible. The image of the Virgin imprinted in Juan Diego’s cloak reminds us of her closeness and maternal love. Consecrating our diocese there was an act of total trust, an act of faith that she is our Mother, who guides and protects us. 

My message to all the faithful is that this pilgrimage not only fortified us, but this was also for all of you. We put all our diocese in the hands of Our Virgin Mary for her intercession and for her support in the growing of our faith.

In a very special way, we ask for more priesthood vocations and laypeople committed to our Church mission. I hope that this pilgrimage inspires all to renew our commitment with Christ and to united work for the building of a more united and alive diocese. I invite all to entrust our lives to Our Lady of Guadalupe and ask for the Church, for the families and for our mission. Faith is a journey that we need to walk together, and the Virgin is always with us.