Photo By Casey Johnson, in partnership with the National Eucharistic Congress
As a Catholic communicator, I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to tell people about the truth, beauty and goodness of our Church, so for me, perhaps the most profound thing about attending the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) was being surrounded by more than 50,000 people who already know.
That’s no small thing. Whether measured by statistics that tell us belief in the Real Presence has dwindled to roughly a third of self-identified Catholics, or by the reality of our own communities of family and friends who may not understand our faith, knowledge about what the Church believes and teaches is often lacking.
But for five days in Indianapolis from July 17-21, pilgrims from every corner of the nation gathered to celebrate what they know to their core – that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. What was it like to be among so many people who understand the significance of the Eucharist and the opportunity it presents for us to be in communion with Christ and with one another?
It was kind of like being at a family reunion with thousands of cousins you’ve never met.
Within moments of meeting new people, easy conversations created connections. What diocese are you from? Are you involved in parish ministry? What prompted you to make the trip to Indy? What do you hope to get out of the revival sessions? Like a family reunion, the expectation of familiarity fostered an immediate sense of acceptance.
The NEC was profound not just for the events that took place. Eucharistic processions and holy hours of adoration in and of themselves are powerful experiences of Christ’s real presence. But when you add the sheer magnitude of 50,000 people walking behind the monstrance, or sitting silently in a football stadium – prayers lifted up by billows of incense – there’s an energy that courses through the air. You realize you’re witnessing and participating in something extraordinary, but also that you’re surrounded by a current of love and unity that can only be explained by the Holy Spirit.
Of course, the Holy Spirit wasn’t summoned by a throng, but by the prayers and yearnings of tens of thousands of individuals who came to Indianapolis in search of connection with Jesus and his Church. One woman told me she’d come to experience time alone with Jesus. Another said she’d felt called by God to see firsthand what the Lord is doing with and for the Church in America. Another said the journey would be worth it because it was reigniting her faith and her relationship with Christ. All three came to Indy without family members or friends or an organized group of pilgrims, but rather alone – on a personal quest for Eucharistic renewal.
Alone among 50,000-plus Catholics seems like an oxymoron. But on Saturday evening at the final revival session, I understood the singular experience those women sought when they set out on their pilgrimages. One of the speakers was actor Jonathan Roumie, star of the acclaimed television series, “The Chosen,” and one of Hollywood's most outspoken and devout Catholics. He offered his perspective on the Eucharist – his relationship with it, his love for it, his reliance on it.
In a powerful moment, Jonathan read these words from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (6:55-56)
In the dark rafters of the stadium, it wasn’t Jonathan Roumie’s “Jesus voice” I heard, but the voice of our Eucharistic Lord, telling me, personally, once again, what a gift I have in the Eucharist – what a gift we all have to connect us with Christ eternally.
Marybeth Hicks is the director of strategic communications for FAITH Catholic.
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