Vivian Shannon and her husband Joe attended the 10th National Eucharistic Congress (the first one in 81 years) in Indianapolis, IN as a way to deepen their faith and celebrate their 35th anniversary. She wanted to share the following with all of you.
I recognized immediately that we were in for something special when, upon our arrival downtown from the airport, we saw that the line to “check in” at the Indianapolis Convention Center was over a mile long. We really couldn’t believe our eyes. Luggage in tow, we took our place at the line’s end and for the next 2.5 hours, got to know the people around us. We met cradle Catholics, converts, children, seniors, and in what can only be described as “really cool small world”, Joe met a man and after some getting-to-know-you small talk, they realized they were US Army Ranger School classmates in 1988! A definite God moment.
Over the course of five days and surrounded by 60,000+ fellow Catholics who were on fire for their faith (including over 100 from the Archdiocese of Seattle…with our seminarians led by Father Justin Ryan and our very own Bishop Schuster), we experienced a powerful rejuvenation of our own. Joe and I have always considered ourselves devoted, practicing Catholics. I am an adult convert to the faith (34 years strong), married to a man who can most accurately be described as devout. Neither of us knew what to expect but we decided to attend given that it was the first National Congress in 81 years- so likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And boy was it ever! Here are a few of the precious highlights of the week:
- We experienced Eucharistic adoration each evening in Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts), where, in a stadium with over 60,000 people, you could have heard a pin drop for at least 15 minutes. The silence was staggering and deeply moving.
- We attended mass daily, either in the stadium or the convention center, and even a local church. They offered normal masses, Byzantine and Eastern Rite (Syro-Malabar Qurbãnã) masses, and traditional Latin mass as an opportunity to experience something new. Truly beautiful!
- The speakers we heard were a who’s who of Catholics- Father Mike Schmitz (of Bible in a Year podcast fame), Bishops Robert Barron and Andrew Cozzens (among many others), Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, Sisters Miriam James Heidland, Josephine Garrett, and Bethany Madonna, Father Josh Johnson, Gloria Purvis, Chris Stefanick, and even Jonathon Roumie who plays Jesus in the hit series “The Chosen”. His Eminence Antonio Luis Cardinal Tagle presided over the final mass on Sunday morning. These were just a few of the impactful voices we listened to as they shared their faith and why the Eucharist is the heart of being Catholic! Jesus is truly present!
- We participated in a Eucharistic procession on the streets of downtown Indianapolis with tens of thousands of others. Please see time-lapse of the procession here.
- We heard Gregorian chant by the exquisite Floriani, experienced joyful and poignant praise and worship music (Matt Maher, anyone?), and sang along in Latin to some of the most beautiful verses of prayer.
- 1500 combined priests, seminarians, cardinals, and bishops and 1200 religious sisters attended (the future of our church is strong!)
- But most of all, being at the Congress gave us time to pray–truly pray with no distractions and with open hearts, listening for anything God might be speaking to us.
As I shared with Northwest Catholic magazine upon our return… “The Congress changed me in profound ways. I have always loved the Eucharist, but I was struck by being with 60,000 others who also love the Eucharist… But mostly, I just felt the Lord calling me in my heart…calling me to renew my focus and commitment to Him, and not to let anything get in the way of that. I felt His presence in ways that I haven’t felt in a long time. I plan to spend as much time as possible in front of the Blessed Sacrament and to not let this fire in my heart flicker out now that I am home. I just wish more people from across the archdiocese could have heard about it and attended.”
Part of not letting the fire in my heart flicker out is to share the good news! Our Lord is a gift to us at every mass and every time we approach the altar to receive Him in the Eucharist. A sign at the Congress said, “Revival Can’t Stay Here” and the truly wonderful thing is that our Catholic schools are a living and breathing embodiment of revival each and every day. They do an incredible job of educating the whole child by supporting their spiritual development. Our Catholic educators allow children to discover their own faith as they nurture those precious voices! I am so very proud to 1) be Catholic, and 2) to work for Fulcrum who supports the ability of our schools to teach our faith so well. It is a true honor on both accounts, and I thank you for all you do to provide such opportunities for students and educators at all our schools. You are a true blessing. The Congress will return in 2033 (if not sooner)!
To learn more about the National Eucharistic Congress, please go to their website and also go to YouTube and search “National Eucharistic Congress” to see all the speakers! You will be blown away!
I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.
John 6:48-51
