Contact: Patrick Howley, Co-Director, The Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults, 718-483-1819; www.pofnyc.org  

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- "THE 1ST ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE OF NEW YORK" is scheduled to take place between 10:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 20, 2010 (Rain date: Saturday, March 27, 2010.) The pilgrimage walk begins at the Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan and ends with a "Pilgrim's Mass" at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, located at the southern tip of Manhattan island. The event participants will walk approximately 13.5 miles in total and will make stops at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick (where they will be allowed access to pray in the Crypt of the Bishops of New York), St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, and St. Peter's Church, the oldest Catholic parish in New York City.

This event is specifically targeted to engage the Catholic laity of the New York Tri-State area during the 2010 Lenten season and is being produced by the Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults (CSPYA), in association with St. Agnes Young Adults, The Defenders of the Holy Trinity, www.Events4JC.org, Holy Name of Jesus Young Adults, Pilgrimage for Our Children's Future, and Young Catholic New York.

"Santiago de Compostela, Medjugorje, Fatima, the Holy Land...the list is endless," says Patrick Howley, Co-Director of the CSPYA. "Given the current economic climate, I doubt that any CSPYA member can afford to spend two weeks on pilgrimage to Lourdes. We all looked at each other and thought, why not bring the pilgrimage site here? It just might turn into the single most unique Catholic event New York has ever seen."

Participation in this event is free of charge and is open to anyone of any age or religion. Sponsorship for participants is not required but we are asking that each participant consider making a free will donation, of any size, to the charity of their choice. Registration for this event is required.

To learn more about this event and to register as a participant, please visit the event website at http://pofnyc.org.  

For more information on this event or to speak with an event manager, please contact Patrick Howley via e-mail at pat@cspya.org, or call (718) 483-1819.