CNA Staff, Feb 16, 2024 / 14:00 pm

Registration opened on Thursday for the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, a “milestone” in the third year of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) initiative to renew the Catholic Church through the Eucharist.

The five-day congress will be held in Indianapolis from July 17–21 in Lucas Oil Stadium, which boasts a capacity of nearly 70,000.

“The National Eucharistic Congress is the milestone moment of a three-year initiative of the USCCB designed to renew the Catholic Church in the United States by bringing forth an encounter with the living Lord Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist,” stated a Feb. 15 press release from the event’s organizers.

This year’s gathering is the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in the U.S. but the first since the beginning of World War II.

“God is doing something big here,” Tim Glemkowski, executive director of the National Eucharistic Congress, said in a statement. “It is our hope that this movement of the Holy Spirit brings healing, conversion, and unity to our Church.”

Additional events will be held at other venues within walking distance of the stadium, such as the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center. The convention center will host a vendor hall with more than 200 Catholic organizations and artisans.

Glemkowski has extended “an open invitation for Catholics across the country.” Registered participants will have access to all of the Congress events, including catechetical sessions, breakouts, Mass seating at the arena, and evening concerts.

The Congress will also be family-friendly, with special programming for children ages 12–18.

“There is power when Catholics gather in worship and prayer before the Eucharist — Jesus is going to move, not only in our hearts, but he is going to bring hope and healing through our prayer to a world in desperate need of it,” noted Joel Stepanek, chief mission officer for the National Eucharistic Congress, in the statement.

The Congress will have three masters of ceremonies, including Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of CNA’s parent company, EWTN News, Inc.; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, host of the “Abiding Together” podcast; and Father Josh Johnson, host of the podcast “Ask Father Josh.”

Event speakers include Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron; the Holy See’s current apostolic nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre; Crookston, Minnesota, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who heads the Eucharistic Revival; the Archdiocese of New York’s Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat; and Ascension Presents host Father Mike Schmitz.

Other speakers include religious sisters and lay faithful. A full list of speakers can be found on the Congress website, along with a preliminary schedule.

EWTN is offering a special discount registration of $60 off the total cost of registration.