On Wednesday, July 17, Catholics began a great celebration: the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. It concluded on Sunday, July 21, with a festive celebration of Mass at 10 am at the Lucas Oil Stadium. More than 50,000 participated in this event, including several Corpus Christi parishioners and myself.
Each day of this Congress gave participants an extraordinary opportunity to be enriched by presentations, talks, and discussions regarding the Eucharist and our faith. The keynote speakers included Bp. Robert Barron, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Mike Schmitz and many others. Pilgrims had the opportunity to participate in Eucharistic Adoration and a Eucharistic Procession on the streets of the host city. There was also beautiful music and even a musical. Above all, Pilgrims could participate every day in Masses, including Masses celebrated in various Catholic liturgical traditions like the Byzantine liturgy or traditional Mass in Latin. It was very uplifting and a real joy to be there.
The Congress was held in Indianapolis, which is in the heartland of America. This centrality was highlighted by four routes of foot pilgrimages from four corners of the United States, each leading to Indianapolis. This fact has an additional meaning since the Eucharist is the heart of our Catholic faith.
Every generation of Catholic Americans has to undertake the difficult but, at the same time, beautiful mission of evangelizing themselves and others. Every newborn child, although he or she is a child of God, must learn about his or her Father in heaven. As we have received support from our parents to believe and to grow in faith, in the same way we are called to share this faith with new generations and ourselves to continuously enrich our faith. The Eucharistic Revival is a small but an important opportunity to reinvigorate trust in God and appreciate more and more God’s real presence in the Eucharist.
In 1976, when the International Eucharistic Congress was held in Philadelphia, President Gerald R. Ford told participants, “For millions of men and women, the Church has been the hospital for the soul, the schoolroom for the mind and safe depository for moral ideals.” This has not changed.
From Indianapolis, as one priest has noted “the participants will be sent on a mission: to share the joy of our faith and bring the healing light of the Gospel to a dark world, wounded and weary from sin.” In fact, every one of us is called to be on that mission: first to our children, spouse, family members, and to all others.
Let’s pray for a real revival of our hearts and minds and our communities and nation. May the Eucharistic Lord bless us all.
Fr. Mark Jurzyk
