Notes From Our Deacon: Reflections on National Eucharistic Congress (NEC): Eucharistic Revival
Nadine and I had the privilege of attending the NEC (July 17th - 21st) in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was an experience that, in some ways, was beyond words—but I will give it a shot. Rather than writing a cohesive essay on the Congress, I will provide a summary of the event and offer some personal highlights and inspirations from the Congress. I believe that many, if not all of the sessions, will be available online. I would recommend that you watch and listen to these and participate in the follow-up series offered by the NEC. Start by going to the official website: eucharisticcongress.org
Some History: A few years ago, the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) asked Bishop Andrew Cozzens to head up the congress. You may remember that Bishop Cozzens was one of our auxiliary bishops until he was assigned to shepherd the Crookston, MN Diocese. When asked why the USCCB felt the need to have such a huge undertaking as the NEC, he related the details about how it came about. He said that when the USCCB were given the results of a PEW research study, it shockingly revealed that over 70% of Catholics do not believe that Jesus is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist. The US Bishops determined that this was a crisis of faith that needed a drastic response–the United States needed a Eucharistic Revival!
The results were that over 60,000 Catholics descended upon Indianapolis and virtually took over the center of the town by utilizing the Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts), the entire convention center, St. John’s Parish (next to the convention center) and nearby hotel ballrooms and meeting areas. Some hope that this vast gathering will have a lasting effect on the entire U.S. Catholic Church, as did the World Youth Day that took place in Denver, CO in 1993.
Day 1— From the Four Corners: The revival officially began weeks ago when 4 different groups of pilgrims carried the Eucharistic Jesus as they walked across the country. Each group came from all 4 corners of the U.S. with Jesus in a monstrance and simultaneously converged on Indianapolis to open the conference. As one speaker said, their arrival marked a starting line—not a finish line for what God is doing with His Church in America. This was a powerful moment as the four groups carried our Blessed Lord into the stadium and placed the monstrance on the altar with 60,000 people singing and praising our Eucharistic Lord!
After the opening night, the following 4 days were filled with inspiring teachings, perpetual adoration, confession, praise and worship, daily Masses, and a mile-long Eucharistic procession of over 200 bishops, 1.000 priests and countless deacons and religious preceding Jesus in the Eucharist through the streets of Indianapolis. Thousands of pilgrims (including some children in their first communion attire) also processed and lined the streets singing, praying and praising God as Jesus passed by them. The final day of the Congress was in some ways the most important, as the Church was commissioned to go forth and spread the Good News! The following are some of my personal highlights from the remaining days.
Day 2— Love: “Knowledge will make a person great. Love will make one a saint!” A quote from Fr. Mike Schmitz (from the Bible and Catechism in a Year podcast).
Day 3— Healing and Repentance: The U.S. Surgeon General reported in 2023 that there is an epidemic of loneliness in America. Social media has not helped, but in fact, has made it worse. We need physical contact with one another in order to heal from loneliness. Nadine and I experienced a taste of this in the many healing, inspiring and uplifting conversations we had with pilgrims from around the nation.
Day 4— Community (the Body of Christ): Christians were made to live in Community with one another! Community is NOT easy and sometimes involves pain. Relationships in community are not about just friendship, but death to self for the sake of others as we build deep relationships with one another.
Day 5— Go Forth and Spread the Good News: After receiving our Lord at the Annunciation, our Blessed Mother, Mary, was the first to carry Jesus into the world, specifically to Elizabeth and John the Baptist at the Visitation. This was the first Eucharistic Procession! She served as a model for us. After we receive our Lord in the Eucharist, we are then commissioned to go out into the world and spread his love to the lost and hurting.
What Next?: So what are we to do as individuals and as a parish with what the Lord revealed to us at this historic event? Here are some ideas from the Congress:
- PRAY: Ask the Lord what He wants us to do. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
- RECEIVE: Receive the Eucharist as often as possible. Attend daily Mass whenever possible.
- FAITH: Learn more about the Catholic faith. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and understanding, then follow her teachings.
- FORGIVE: Forgive anyone and everyone who has hurt us in any way.
- REPENT: Repent of any way we have hurt others or sinned. Ask for forgiveness. Use confession to wipe away all sin.
- COMMUNITY: Share our lives with each other. Go beyond sharing coffee and donuts after Mass. Go deeper. Share struggles, hopes, dreams and disappointments. Listen to one another, pray for one another. Form a small group to meet on a regular basis to build deep relationships and friendships.
- GO FORTH: Go out into the world and share God’s love with family, neighbors, friends and anyone God places in your path. Share your money and possessions with the poor and tell them of God’s love for them.
- Deacon Jim Reinhardt