The Hillbilly Thomists will return to the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage on Saturday, September 26, 2026, closing the day with a concert on the Catholic University Mall. It will be the third year running that the band has joined us at the Pilgrimage.
The Hillbilly Thomists are a group of Dominican Friars whose bluegrass albums have topped the Billboard charts. Their songs blend Appalachian roots with lyrics steeped in faith, honest, hopeful, and full of longing for God. They invite listeners into the joy of the Gospel, one toe-tap at a time.
Each year, thousands of pilgrims gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a full day of preaching, Adoration, Confession, the Rosary, and Mass. As the day winds down, the crowd spills out onto the Catholic University Mall, where the music begins.
Their songs are full of saints. On their album Marigold, in a song called “Justify You,” the Hillbilly Thomists put a question to St. Rita of Cascia, whose feast the Church celebrates today: “St. Rita, what’s the meaning of life?” Her answer is the kind of thing a saint would actually say. “Oh now honey, what can I say? You got to save your money and learn how to pray.” It reflects how she lived — poorly and in constant prayer — and it is very much in the spirit of what the Hillbilly Thomists do: the Gospel sung plainly, with a banjo.
The concert is free and open to all pilgrims. After a day of grace at the Basilica, the music on the Mall is a fitting end — joy is one of the surest signs of the Gospel.
St. Rita, pray for us. We hope to see you in Washington, D.C.
