July 23, 2024 // Bishop

Carrying Forward the Joy of the Eucharistic Congress

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades

If I had to use one word to describe my experience of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, I would say “joy.” Throughout the five days of the congress, this joy was palpable – the joy that flows from our faith, from our gratitude for the love of Christ that we experience in our encounter with Him in the sacrament of His love, the Most Holy Eucharist.

Sixty thousand Catholics from across our nation, including approximately 1,000 from our diocese, gathered to worship Our Lord in the beautiful liturgies of the congress and in Eucharistic adoration, to participate in the Revival and breakout sessions and in the beautiful Eucharistic procession through downtown Indianapolis. It was truly edifying and uplifting to participate with our brothers and sisters in Christ, bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated religious, families, young and old, faithful of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, all united in our love of Jesus and His presence with us in the Blessed Sacrament.

Walking through the Convention Center and everywhere I went during the congress, I ran into people from our diocese. I was so happy to see so many participants from our diocese, including many who were present as part of various apostolates and ministries, including the Knights of Columbus, Kingdom Builders, Serra Club, and Legatus. Our Sunday Visitor, one of the major sponsors of the congress with a donation of $1 million, was a prominent presence at the congress. How blessed we are to be the home of OSV, which does so much good for the Church in our diocese and throughout our nation! It was great to see my friends from Hallow and Exodus 90 and to introduce Jamie Baxter, the Founder of Exodus 90, at his talk to several hundred men at one of the congress sessions.

Bishop Rhoades speaks at a dinner with his fellow bishops, hosted by Our Sunday Visitor, during the National Eucharistic Congress at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis on Friday, July 19.

I wish to mention also two groups who worked hard at the congress: our seminarians and the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration. All our seminarians not only were present at the congress, but they worked as volunteers in various capacities, including serving at the liturgies and at the confession stations. The Sisters of Saint Francis served at Saint John’s Church, next to the convention center, where the Holy Eucharist was exposed for adoration throughout the congress. The Sisters welcomed pilgrims and helped with all the logistics during adoration. I am deeply grateful to the sisters and seminarians for their volunteer service.

I pray that both the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which passed through our diocese, and the National Eucharistic Congress will bear much good spiritual fruit for the Church in our diocese and across our nation. The National Eucharistic Revival now begins its third year, the Year of Mission. We are not to keep the gift of the Holy Eucharist to ourselves. We are called to be Eucharistic missionaries in the world. We are called to live Eucharistic lives – lives transformed by the Eucharistic love of Jesus. I pray that, with missionary zeal, we will go out to invite others to experience the truth, beauty, and love of Christ, especially those Catholics who have drifted away from the practice of the faith and others who have not yet encountered the Lord or His Church. May we not be timid in inviting others to Mass or to the OCIA (formerly called RCIA)! Through our words and actions, may we draw others to the living presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! May God’s grace work through us, and may Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist, help us with her prayers!