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Lenten PilgrimageCelebrate Fr. Francisco Garcés, OFM 250th Anniversary of His Expedition Into Nevada -
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From the Pilgrimage DirectorDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,This Lent, I warmly invite you to join me on a Day of Pilgrimage and Prayer in the footsteps of Father Francisco Garcés, OFM. This pilgrimage will be made on the 250th Anniversary of the very day, March 3, 1776, when the Spanish Franciscan missionary Fr. Garcés, traveled up the Colorado River and entered the Mohave villages in what is now the State of Nevada. His expedition marked the beginning of the Church’s evangelization and missionary efforts among the native peoples of this region.We will spend the day in prayer (Holy Mass, Stations of the Cross, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet) as well as enjoy lectures by Dr. Jeremy Beer, author and biographer of Fr. Garcés. Highlights of the day include visiting memorials to Fr. Garcés in Las Vegas; stopping at the site where he crossed the Mojave Desert with native scouts to meet Saint Junipero Serra, and tracing the places where, recorded in Fr. Garcés’ detailed 1776 diary, he visited and ministered to the indigenous who lived along the river in the vicinities of Needles, CA and Laughlin, Nevada.
- Pilgrimage date and time: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Includes bus transportation, meals, and snacks
- 18+ only
- Cost: $100 per person
- Departs Guardian Angel Cathedral 8 AM promptly
- Space is limited to one bus; make your reservation early
Please complete the registration and Archdiocesan release forms in their entirety. Your seat on the bus will be reserved when we receive the original release forms and payment of $100. Payment can be made online or by check made out to Guardian Angel Cathedral with “Pilgrimage” written on the memo line. Only when all of your forms and payment are received will your seat be reserved. While you can mail your registration to the Cathedral, it is recommended that you stop by the Cathedral Office Monday - Friday, from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and/or 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.My prayer is that our walk in the footsteps of Fr. Garcés, in this upcoming penitential season of Lent, and in this 2026 Jubilee Year of Saint Francis, may inspire all of us to live fully the Lord’s call to be his missionary disciples today.Blessings in Christ,Most Reverend Gregory W. GordonAuxiliary Bishop of Las VegasRector, Guardian Angel Cathedral -
Registration Form
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Items Required for RegistrationClick the button above to download the Registration Packet. Please print it and return it to the Guardian Angel Cathedral Office. Paper forms are available in both the Cathedral and the Office.
- Adult Liability Waiver
- Photo/Video Release Form
- $100 Fee
It is recommended that you stop by the Cathedral Office Monday - Friday, from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and/or 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. -
Itinerary
8:00 AM - Prayer at the Cathedral Father Garces Plaque/Depart to Travel Garces Street, part of the original Las Vegas townsite
8:30 AM - Visit to the Garces monument at Lorenzi Park
8:45 AM - Bus travel to Saint Ann Church, Needles, CA (pray Rosary, Sorrowful Mysteries)
10:45 AM - Station of the Cross at St. Ann Church
11:15 AM - Boxed lunch at St. Ann Hall with talk by Dr. Beer
12:15 PM - The El Garces Station, talk
12:45 PM - The Von Schmidt marker, CA/NV State Line
1:00 PM - Avi Fort Mohave Tribal monument, talk
1:30 PM - Garces Nevada State Historical Marker
2:00 PM - Holy Mass at St. John the Baptist Church, Laughlin, NV
3:00 PM - Boxed dinner, Garces Center, with talk by Dr. Beer
4:00 PM - Bus travel to Guardian Angel Cathedral (pray Divine Mercy Chaplet)
5:45 PM - Arrive Guardian Angel Cathedral, cars waiting in the parking lot
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