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The 2025 Our Lady of Bethlehem Pilgrimage officially ended on August 19 at the end of the day’s events. Over the beach below the Mission grounds, the sun set on the group of blessed pigrims who had been able to honor and pray before the Queen of California in Mission San Carlos Borromeo.

Many in the entourage, however, would close the pilgrimage the next morning after taking part in the Rosary Beach Walk and climbing the hill to honor one of the first crosses erected in northern California.

On the next morning, Wednesday August 20, a group of pilgrims met at the Carmel River State Beach Parking lot and gathered on the beach to begin the Rosary Walk that would lead to the historic Portola-Crespí Cross.

Fr. Jacob Hsieh led the pilgrims in reciting the Glorious Mysteries as the half mile trek began on the stretch of wide sand flanked by coastal bluffs and Carmel’s distinctive cypress trees that reminded Fr. Serra so much of his native Mallorca in Spain. That winding path through native California brush and flowers would lead to one of the two crosses planted by Fr. Juan crespí and Captain Gaspar de Portola on the first land expedition to northern California in 1769 during their unsuccessful quest to find Monterey Bay.

The Cross was raised to alert the supply ship that had been sent from San Diego to relieve their difficult situation. That supply ship never arrived, but the Cross remained.

The next year Captain Portolá and Fray Crespí returned on the second – and this time successful – attempt to discover Monterey Bay. Curious about what had happened to the Cross, they went to seek it out and found that at its base were “gifts” of feather-crested sticks and arrows, as well as dried sardine and mussels. Only later, after they could communicate with the natives, did they learn the reason for those offerings, which Fr. Francisco Palou duly recorded in his biography of Fr. Junípero Serra. (1)

The Indians had watched the missionaries with “brilliant shining crosses” on their chests erect the large Cross and leave. Then they noticed that each evening as the sun set, the Cross would become bright and luminous and would grow to an enormous size until it seemed “to reach to the very heavens.” In the morning it would return to normal size and once again appeared as a simple wooden Cross.

Thinking it was a god of the white man, they brought it gifts and food in order not to anger it. As a result of this prodigy “and of many others the Lord wrought,” wrote Fr. Palou, “the conversion of the natives continued with all peacefulnes and without the conflict of arms.” (1)

Honoring the Cross

Crossing by the Wetlands Natural Preserve on the trek up the hill, the pilgrims were treated to the sight of a flock of migrating pelicans resting on the lagoon waters below them to the left. Reaching the top of the winding pathway, the pilgrims sang the Credo and the Veni Creator Spiritus beneath the towering Cross.

After, Fr. Jacob blessed the Cross with Epiphany oil and salt, each pilgrim approached it to kneel and kiss the Holy Cross, the sign of hope and our redemption. Fr. Jacob then led the group in praying The Litany for the conversion of California & the Resurrection of missionary zeal, which follows:

V. God, Our Father and Creator of Heaven and Earth,
R. have mercy on California.

V. God, the Son to Whom the Father has given all authority,
R. have mercy on California.

V. God, the Holy Spirit, made manifest in human history,
R. have mercy on California.

V. Holy Trinity, One God,
R. have mercy on California.

V. O Immaculate Conception, victorious over the evil one,
R. protect California from diabolical destruction.

V. Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, sorrowing & alone after the Crucifixion of thy Son,
R. protect California from …

V. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas,
R. protect California from ...

V. Queen of Angels,
R. protect California from ...

V. Our Lady of Bethlehem, beloved companion to San Junípero Serra in his expedition to Upper California and Mother of the Missions,
R. protect California from …

V. St. Joseph, Patron, Protector & Miraculous Provider of the missions,
R. protect California from ...

V. St. Francis of Assisi, called by God to rebuild His Church,
R. protect California from …

V. Fray Junípero Serra, Apostle to California who desired to go where no missionary had been before,
R. protect California from…

V. Fray Junípero Serra, undaunted by seemingly insurmountable obstacles,
R. protect California from …

V. Fray Junípero Serra, ardent crusader for the salvation of souls,
R. protect California fom …

V. Fray Junípero Serra, so familiar with pain and suffering,
R. protect California from ...

V. St. Charles Borroméo, Archbishop, Reformer & Third Order Franciscan,
R. protect Calironia from …

V. The Archangels St Michael, St. Raphael and St. Gabriel,
R. protect California from …

V. All our Holy Guardian Angels,
R. protect California from…

V. Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world,
R. spare us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. graciously hear us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. have mercy on us.

V. O Lord, hear our prayer,
R. And let our cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Divine Missionary sent by the Father to the fallen human race, all honor, glory, love and obedience belong rightly to Thee. Every right, favor and privilege we may now enjoy comes to us from Thy generosity through the immaculate hands of Thy Holy Mother. May she and St . Joseph guide all of us who, in response to Thy command and inspired by the witness of Fray Junípero Serra, seek to make “disciples of all nations,” teaching and baptizing them in the Spirit of Truth Thou promised would be ours after Thy Ascension and until the end of ages. Amen.

(Note: This is a shortened version of a longer Prayer written by an ex-Californian who continued from afar to nourish a great love for the Missions and a hope for the restoration of Faith in this majestic State. You can find the longer Prayer here, which includes a reference to each of the 21 California Missions.

In a profound silence, the group of pilgrims stood around the holy Cross, returning in spirit to the time when Fr. Junipero Serra, aflame with missionary zeal, brought the light of Christ and the Gospel to these shores.

The Chaplet of Our Lady of Bethlehem

At the end of the blessed Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Bethlehem, one of the pilgrims was inspired to write A Chaplet of Our Lady of Bethlehem and to make a bead chaplet with Our Lady of Bethlehem as the centerpiece.

The chaplet is simple: An opening prayer, followed by this invocation to be said on each of the 21 beads representing the 21 California missions:

O Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Our Lady of Bethelehem, Patroness Of the Missions, with St. Joseph her spouse, and St. Junipero Serra, grant the conversion of California and the whole world.

It concludes with a Glory be and the Sign of the Cross.

It is one of the first fruits of this blessed pilgrimage, and we pray there will be many more. For anyone interested in purchasing a chaplet, available in a variety of beads and centerpieces, you may email Melanie Grijalva at meg373@gmail.com.

May Our Lady of Bethlehem become truly the Queen of all hearts and help to restore the missionary zeal and practice of the Holy Faith in California and the world.

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