When 60,000 Catholics Fall To Their Knees

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I had the blessing and privilege of attending the 10^th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last summer along with 60,000 fellow Catholics! The ninth Congress was held in 1941, 83 years ago, so this was a rare opportunity.

I want to share some of that experience and how it continues to echo through my life.

Until the Holy Spirit made it clear I should go, the Congress was something in the bulletin for other people, not me. I’m so grateful for the time and means to attend.

“So what was this thing?” you might wonder. It was a milestone in a three-year grassroots movement to rekindle a living faith in our hearts as Catholics. (www.EucharisticRevival.org.)

The center of our faith and worship is Jesus and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The sacrifice of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration are the two ways we as Catholics encounter Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity. This is what makes us Catholic.

Words are insufficient to describe the awesome experience of worshipping, venerating Christ in the Eucharist, and attending Mass on that Sunday morning with 60,000 others in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Congress ran from Wednesday through Sunday. Each night’s gathering included Eucharistic Adoration. Friday night was especially powerful as the Blessed Sacrament was processed around the floor of the stadium in a glorious 40-pound monstrance (the gold receptacle in which the consecrated Host is exposed for veneration) with an extra-large consecrated host at its center.

60,000 people were on their knees worshipping the Lord. The glory of God was overwhelming. 

On Saturday, thousands of Catholics joined in a Eucharistic procession that traveled more than a mile through downtown Indianapolis. It was led by priests, consecrated men and women, seminarians and bishops followed by the faithful. I heard children cheering, “There’s the Benedictines! There’s the Franciscans!” Incredible!

We enjoyed top-notch speakers, including Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in “The Chosen” series. Jonathan’s powerful reading of chapter six of the Gospel of John continues to reverberate as people watch it on YouTube. I encourage you to watch it and let Jesus’ words sink in: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”

You can find photos and videos of talks from the National Eucharistic Congress on social media, YouTube, and elsewhere online to enjoy.

For more than 20 years, the most powerful, life-changing encounters I’ve had with Jesus have been during Eucharistic Adoration. I was raised Catholic, but was a Protestant for 12 years. Someone introduced me to Adoration and I went. Kneeling before Jesus in the consecrated Eucharist, I heard Him say, “This is my body.” My theology and my heart changed forever.

I attend Eucharistic Adoration most Thursday evenings here at St. Andrew from 7-8 p.m. This is time to meditate, pray, read, or just sit. Come for ten minutes. That’s a great start. Sitting in the Lord’s presence changes us. Christ is present in the Blessed Sacrament from 10 a.m.– 8 p.m. every Thursday at St. Andrew. We are privileged indeed!

In Christ,  

Julia Zaher