A National Pilgrimage Devoted to Christ and Our Lady
On this Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress, O.P., reflects on the origins of the feast—once known as Our Lady of Victory—and its meaning for us today. From the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 to the spiritual battles we face daily, the Rosary has always been a source of strength, protection, and hope. Watch this video to learn how perseverance in prayer, even when it feels dry or distracted, brings real grace and victory through Our Lady’s intercession.
Music has always had a place in the life of the Church. It lifts hearts to God, binds communities together, and expresses joy in the Gospel. At this year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, we are blessed to welcome the Hillbilly Thomists, the Dominican friars’ bluegrass band, for a live concert immediately following the Pilgrimage on September 27, 2025.
The Hillbilly Thomists blend traditional bluegrass, folk, and Americana with lyrics inspired by Scripture and the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Their music has inspired listeners across the world and shows that joy in Christ can be expressed in every genre.
To give you a taste of what awaits in Washington this September, we’ve shared several full-song recordings from the 2024 Hillbilly Thomists concert at the Basilica.
The concert will take place at Catholic University of America Mall next to the Basilica in Washington, D.C., directly after the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage concludes. We invite you to celebrate with us through music and prayer in this unique evening of joy and fellowship.
Mark your calendars now:
The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage and the Hillbilly Thomists concert are made possible by the generosity of benefactors who support our mission of preaching through word, music, and devotion to Our Lady. Learn more about how you can support the pilgrimage here.
Each year, the faithful gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage. It is a day filled with prayer, preaching, and devotion to Our Lady. One of the spiritual highlights of the pilgrimage is the opportunity to enroll in the Rosary Confraternity, a centuries-old association entrusted to the care of the Dominican friars.
Enrollment, however, is not limited to those who can be present in Washington. Anyone, anywhere, can enter into this spiritual family. Members of the Confraternity promise to pray fifteen decades of the Rosary each week, with meditation on the mysteries of Christ. This obligation is not a heavy burden, but a steady rhythm of prayer that keeps one close to Our Lady and united to countless others around the world.
Belonging to the Confraternity brings with it real spiritual benefits. Members share in the prayers and good works of the Dominican Order, and in the intercession of fellow members spread throughout the world. The Church has also granted indulgences to members of the Confraternity, including a plenary indulgence on the day of enrollment and on certain feast days, provided the usual conditions are met. Most importantly, Our Lady herself looks upon Confraternity members with special care and protection.
The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage is one day in the year when thousands come together to witness the power of the Rosary. The Confraternity is a way of carrying that same spirit into every week of the year. Wherever you are, your prayers become part of a living Pilgrimage that never ceases, uniting you with friars, nuns, sisters, and lay faithful who keep watch with Mary and contemplate the mysteries of Christ.
Whether you are planning to be at the Pilgrimage this fall or are unable to make the journey, you are invited to take this step. Enrollment is a simple act, but one that draws you into the heart of a great communion of prayer.
The only obligation is to pray 15 decades of the Rosary each week, which can be spread out across the week. Members are asked to include the intentions of fellow Confraternity members in their prayers.
Joining is simple and open to all. To become a member and unite your prayers with thousands of others around the world, click here to enroll.
At this year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage on Saturday, September 27, 2025, four Dominican friars will be signing their latest works—and you’re invited to meet them! The event takes place from 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the bookstore at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Books will be available for purchase on-site.
Meet the Authors
Fr. James Brent, O.P.
The Father’s House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity
Father James Dominic Brent, O.P., is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph. Born and raised in Michigan, he completed his doctorate in Philosophy from St. Louis University and licentiate in Theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC where he now teaches. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute and Aquinas 101. Fr. Brent’s new podcast Contemplata is born from years of traveling the world lecturing, preaching retreats, and meeting increasingly more people who hunger to know God more deeply in contemplative prayer. He is the author of The Father’s House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity (Pauline Books, 2023). Fr. Brent was the homilist at last year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage.
Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P.
Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope
The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh
Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., is Ordinary Professor and Editor-in-Chief of The Thomist at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, Dominican House of Studies and Master of Students for the deacons of the Province of St. Joseph at St. Dominic Priory in Washington, DC. Previously he served as a parochial vicar in Rhode Island, a missionary in Nairobi, Kenya, a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, and formator at the Dominican House of Studies. He is an author of many publications including The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh, Magnificat’s Way of the Cross and Rosary for a Eucharistic Revival, and he co-authored A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life and Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope. He enjoys preaching on the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Fr. Philip Nolan, O.P.
Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope
Fr. Philip Nolan, O.P. is a Dominican of the Province of Saint Joseph. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2022 and serves at Holy Innocents Parish in Pleasantville, New York. He is a frequent contributor to Magnificat and co-author of Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope (Magnificat, 2025).
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
Your Eucharistic Identity: A Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life
Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly
From Pennsylvania, Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. He previously served as the Assistant Director of Campus Outreach for the Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC, and associate pastor of St. Louis Bertrand Catholic Church in Louisville, KY where he also taught at Bellarmine University. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He is a contributor on the Pints with Aquinas show, a co-host of Godsplaining and the Catholic Classics podcast. Fr. Gregory is the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly (Our Sunday Visitor, 2022) and co-author with Matt Fradd of Marian Consecration With Aquinas: A Nine Day Path for Growing Closer to the Mother of God (TAN Books, 2020). Fr. Gregory was the principal preacher at last year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage.
Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P.
Contemplation and the Cross: A Catholic Introduction to the Spiritual Life
The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism
Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P., is the Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. He is the author of various books and articles including Wisdom in the Face of Modernity: A Study in Thomistic Natural Theology (Sapientia Press, 2011), The Incarnate Lord, A Thomistic Study in Christology (The Catholic University of America Press, 2015) Exodus (Brazos Press, 2016), The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism (Catholic University Press, 2017), and The Trinity: On the Nature and Mystery of the One God (Catholic University Press, 2022). He is co-editor of the journal Nova et Vetera, a Distinguished Scholar of the McDonald Agape Foundation, and a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Don’t miss this opportunity! Whether you’ve been shaped by their writings or are just discovering them, the book signing is a chance to meet the friars, share a moment, and bring home a signed copy of their newest work. Join us 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the bookstore.
Each year, pilgrims from across the country gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., for a day devoted to the Rosary, the Eucharist, and the preaching of the Gospel. It’s a day of grace and renewal—led by the Dominican Friars and centered on Christ through Mary.
If you aren’t able to attend in person on Saturday, September 27, 2025, you can still be part of the pilgrimage. Join us online through the livestream at rosarypilgrimage.org and follow along throughout the day.
To help you remember, you can add the event to your Google Calendar or download the calendar invite (.ics) to mark your schedule.
As the Church begins a new chapter under its first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, many are sensing a renewed call to go deeper in the faith. The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage has become one way to respond to that call—a moment to return to Mary, to rediscover the beauty of the Rosary, and to draw closer to Christ in the Eucharist.
The livestream allows you to take part in that moment, wherever you are. You’ll be able to watch the talks, pray the Rosary, adore the Eucharist, and unite in the Vigil Mass in honor of Our Lady—all from home, your parish, or with your ministry group.
If you’re watching from afar, we encourage you to make the day your own:
However you choose to join us, you’ll be united with thousands of others seeking the same thing: to grow in love for Christ through Mary.
Photo by Timothy Dias, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
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