Indianapolis, Ind., Jul 18, 2024 / 09:35 am

After years of planning and anticipation, the National Eucharistic Congress officially kicked off Wednesday evening with the triumphant culmination of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, the solemn entry of the Eucharistic Jesus in a papally-blessed golden monstrance, and speeches from Catholic luminaries that set the tone for the historic five-day event.

The Congress, which has drawn tens of thousands of people to Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis, is the first such event to be held in the U.S. since World War II. The fruit of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ multiyear project of Eucharistic Revival, the Congress aims to galvanize Catholics in their faith and love for the Eucharist — the body and blood of Jesus — as preparation for a special nationwide year of mission.

From now until midday Sunday, the Congress promises numerous opportunities for Eucharistic adoration and Mass as well as exhibits, vendors, music, talks, and breakout sessions geared toward Catholics of all walks of life.

First to arrive before the cheering crowds July 17 were the Perpetual Pilgrims — four groups of young men and women who carried the Eucharist a collective 6,500 miles through cities and over mountains and plains, converging finally on Tuesday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Indianapolis. Each group of pilgrims approached the stage to thunderous cheers, placing an image that corresponded to each route’s patron saint.

Then it was time for the true star of the show to appear.

The crowd fell silent as the Eucharist, contained in a large monstrance specially blessed by Pope Francis in 2023, was processed by Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who spearheaded the U.S. bishops’ initiative of Eucharistic Revival.

For a time, the massive stadium was filled only with the sounds of praise and worship music while the attendees gazed upon and worshipped Christ.

The exact number of attendees Wednesday has not been released, but organizers said shortly before the start of the Congress that over 50,000 were registered. Organizers also said that nearly 20 languages are spoken among the attendees, and that 1,000 priests and 200 bishops and cardinals are expected.

“We want every Catholic to realize that you are alive in the Eucharist and to encounter your love,” Cozzens prayed before the monstrance, before performing benediction. “We declare you to be the king of the universe, and the king of our hearts.”

Following adoration, the three emcees for the Congress took the stage. Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News — the parent company of CNA — assured those in attendance, especially the young people of whom there are thousands, that there are “no coincidences” when it comes to God’s providence.

“Every single one of you has something that you’re asking God for, something that you’ve journeyed for here. That prayer will be answered in some way before Our Lord in the Eucharist,” Alvarado said.

Father Josh Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told the attendees that the more time they spend with Jesus in Eucharistic adoration, the more they will be empowered to imitate him as the first disciples did.

“Jesus Christ is here. And we have been invited here to this place to have an encounter with him, an encounter with Our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament,” Johnson said.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Pope Francis’ apostolic nuncio to the United States, took the stage and said his presence “[expresses] the pope’s spiritual closeness to you” and called the Eucharist an “immense gift for unity.”

Pierre said his prayer for the Eucharistic Congress is that “we as a Church may grow in our unity, so that we become more fruitful in our mission.”

“What does it mean to have a Eucharistic Revival? … When we are truly revived by the Eucharist, then our encounter with Christ’s real presence in the sacrament opens us to an encounter with him in the rest of our life. This means seeing him wherever we go,” the nuncio said.

“The adoration spills over in our daily life … we do not remain the same as we were.”

Attendees enthusiastic

Lines stretched around the block on Wednesday afternoon as attendees from far and wide waited to enter the Indiana Convention Center.

Dom Mann and his wife, Cassidy, Ohioans in their early 20s, are spending their first anniversary at the Congress. They told CNA that they’ve grown together in their Catholic faith over the course of dating and marriage and came to the Congress seeking to “experience Jesus at a whole other level.”

“Our first time being Eucharistic ministers was our wedding. So to be able to have that and to spend our one-year at the Congress is just very beautiful and impactful,” Dom said.

Jaella Mac Au, 20, was one of the Perpetual Pilgrims who traversed the western St. Junípero Serra Route, the longest of the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimages. She told CNA that her experience as a pilgrim helped her understand that Jesus “doesn’t just sit in a church” but desires to be brought out into the world for all to see.

“It’s just been so beautiful to see the diverse heart of the Church and to see just a taste of the unity that the Lord desires for us,” Mac Au said.

“[The Church] is alive, and it is wonderful to see the diversity of hearts, of charisms, of spiritualities that came to these events. And just an honor to see all the young families coming, and then all of the older generations coming as well… revival is happening, and it’s beautiful.”

Sister Faustina and Sister Anastasia Marie, Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, came with a delegation of 22 sisters to the congress.

“The Eucharist is the center of our spirituality. All that we do comes from a relationship with our Lord, and we spend much of our day in prayer, and then we go out to serve in the apostolate,” Sister Faustina said.

“We encounter Our Lord in the Eucharist and also go out to meet him with his people. And all of that comes from encountering him in the Eucharist.”

Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, told CNA that he hopes each and every attendee at the Congress will encounter Jesus personally and be sent on mission to share Christ’s love with the world.

“About two and a half years of planning have gone into this moment, and it’s incredible to see it come to fruition even greater than we expected in so many ways,” Glemkowski said.

“It all is possible because God is doing something in his Church right now. And so we need to be attentive to that and open to what he’s trying to do today.”

What comes next

The Congress’ opening liturgies — offered in various languages and various Catholic rites — began at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, followed by morning “Impact Sessions” from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The Impact Sessions will consist of talks and workshops “organized with various themes and intended audiences” that attendees can choose from. Organizers of the congress have explained that the sessions are geared toward different Catholics in attendance to best suit their needs. (The congress website includes detailed information about each session on its “Schedule” page.)

Blessed Carlo Acutis’ Eucharistic Miracles exhibit and the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, featuring a replica of the incredible 14-foot linen burial shroud, will also be open to attendees daily from noon to 6:30 p.m. at the Indiana Convention Center.

Each evening of the Congress will culminate in a massive ”Revival Session” beginning at 7 p.m., which will feature keynote talks and praise and worship going into the 10 p.m. hour.

Jeffrey Bruno and Zelda Caldwell contributed to this story.