10th National Eucharistic Congress Highlights

On May 17, 2024, four pilgrimage routes began in Mississippi, Connecticut, Wisconsin, & California. The purpose was to cross our nation, presenting Jesus to the people of America, & meeting in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress July 17. Along the way, with Jesus present in the monstrance, the perpetual pilgrims made stops at parishes, schools, & prisons. You can read more about the pilgrimage HERE.

About 60,000 people gathered at The National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July 17-21, to adore our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, attend Mass daily, pray together, & listen to great speakers. Fr. Mike Schmitz, Monsignor James Shea, Bishop Robert Barron, Jonathan Roumie, Sr. Bethany Madonna, Chris Stefanik, & more shared their great love of our Lord & how much of an impact the Eucharist has had in their lives. Unfortunately , I couldn't make it to Indiana, but I was able to watch many of the speakers live & on YouTube. I still have more to watch, but in this post, I would like to share some of the quotes & points that stood out to me. These are in no particular order.

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1) Fr. Josh Johnson was one of the three emcees. On the first night, he referred to the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked His disciples to sit, watch, & pray (Adoration). He said the fruit of adoration is imitation, therefore, we are called to imitate the disciples as well...we must sit, watch, & pray with Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament.

2) Cardinal Christophe Pierre said that adoration leads to relationship. Adoration spills into our daily lives & we begin to see with the eyes of Christ. Encountering Him in the Eucharist leads us to seeing Him in all those we encounter.

3) "Jesus accepts us where we are and leads us to conversion." (Sr. Bethany Madonna of the Sisters of Life) We don't need to be perfect or have our lives all together. Jesus loves us right where we are & will guide us every step of the way. Trust Him!

4) "We have Him and no one can take Him away from us!" (Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart) 

5) Fr. Mike Schmitz told the crowd that a sin is not a mistake. It's knowing what God wants of us, but we don't care. The remedy for indifference is love. For there to be a revival, there must be repentance. Fr. Mike also said, "Knowledge can make someone great, but only love can make a saint."

6) Paula Umana, a former Costa Rican tennis star, became a quadriplegic due to a nervous system disorder & was told she'd never walk again.  Through many prayers & miracles, she is now walking. She encouraged everyone in the stadium to "Run to Jesus!" for anything, whether it be adoration, anxiety, healing, anything.

7)  Sr. Josephine Garrett shared that this whole Eucharistic Revival stands on two legs - Jesus & Repentance. I would venture to say that another leg is just as important - us. WE need to be a third leg by accepting & adoring Jesus while repenting of all those sins we've committed that hurt Him.

8) Jonathan Roumie, of The Chosen series, said that when we turn our thoughts within ourselves, we lose sight of Jesus. However, when we focus on Jesus first, the way we are to follow is clear.

9) Chris Stefanik shared three steps for us to follow in response to "The Body of Christ" at every Mass. The first is to share the Gospel with everyone you know; the second is to rejoice in His love, following the call in Philippians 4:4; and the third is to respond to the Grace poured out upon you by becoming the saint you are meant to be. He said, "Two-thirds of God's name is GO!"

10) One of the best speakers I've watched so far was Msgr. James Shea. Any time a speaker takes a pause, there is often applause for what they'd just said. With Msgr. Shea, the audience was so captivated & engrossed in his talk, you could probably hear a pin drop in the stadium. I got chills listening to him! If you are only able to listen to one talk from the Eucharistic Congress, I HIGHLY recommend you take the time on his. 

The theme of his talk centered around hunger & being satisfied. He shared that only when we feed on God are we complete. All else will leave us hungry. This is just a part of his most powerful quote from the Congress: "It's time for faithful Catholics to stop trying to live for God. Instead, we should start living from Him."