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The National Eucharistic Congress is being called a turning point for the Church in America, like World Youth Day 1993 in Denver was. That’s exactly what I thought as I stood on the floor of the Indianapolis Colts’ stadium July 17 and stared at Jesus Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
But I also know that it’s easy to overreact to an event like this: After our emotions are excited by a larger-than-life experience, the bright afterglow can blind us to reality. So here are some deeper reasons I think the National Eucharistic Congress will profoundly renew the Church.
First, Jesus was the “star of the show” at the Congress.
People have been calling the Congress “World Youth Day for Adults,” and there’s a lot of truth to that. But Pope John Paul II was the star of the show at World Youth Day in Denver; Pope Francis was the headliner in Portugal last year; but Jesus was the star of the show in Indianapolis.
Of course, both popes were focused on Jesus, and the World Youth Days are designed to bring young people to Peter, the Vicar of Christ. Still, the big difference with the Congress is in who participants sacrificed and traveled to see. We weren’t there for a pope or a pop star or even for each other, primarily.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the U.S. bishops’ leader of the Eucharistic Revival, began the event kneeling in front of the monstrance and saying, “Lord, we wanted to give you the first words in your National Eucharistic Congress.” Tim Glemkowski, the lay leader of the Congress, ended it by saying “Look what we did for Jesus!” and then, “Look what Jesus did for us.”
Jesus was truly the Alpha and Omega of the event, its beginning and end, its star attraction and its lasting legacy.
Second, the Congress united the whole Church.
We lived elbow to elbow for a week: bishops, priests, religious and laity — Roman rite and Eastern rites; Catholics from North, South, West and East. People kept saying, “This is what the Church is supposed to be like!” and it’s true. Acts describes the Early Church this way: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
A friend who was following the event on social media texted me in despair at all the critics of Pope Francis and the Congress he was reading. I told him that here in Indianapolis, 60,000 people were united and cheering for the visible and invisible Church, proving decades of negative narrative wrong.
Third, the Congress was focused on sacramental confession.
Communion and confession are inseparable, and speakers from Father Michael Schmitz to Sister Josephine Garrett all stressed that true revival is impossible without repentance, and that true repentance expresses itself in sacramental confession.
Tens of thousands confessed their sins, and priests at the event said they were moved to tears seeing so many participants restore their souls to a state of grace.
Fourth, the Congress had intellectual depth.
Enthusiasm waxes and wanes; excited feelings always fade; but the Truth is the Truth no matter how we feel. The only revivals that last are those that go beyond feelings and connect to the rich intellectual tradition of the Church.
The National Eucharistic Congress went big on “excited feelings” with musical acts and inspirational speakers. But it also included significant addresses from intellectual leaders such as Bishop Robert Barron, university presidents, Notre Dame’s Gloria Purvis and Scott Hahn.
Even more significantly, Catholic universities served as major sponsors of the event, taking leading roles that will give depth to the devotion of the Congress.
Fifth, the Congress focused on serving the poor.
Movements that treat Christianity as only an intellectual or liturgical exercise never change society, as important as both of those things are. Jesus reserves his blessings for those who serve the poor.
Speakers directed the crowd to help the poor and on the streets of Indianapolis you could always find pilgrims sitting with homeless people or giving them alms. At least one homeless man was so touched he joined the Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Indianapolis on Day 5.
Ultimately, though, the one thing that will decide if the Congress is a success hasn’t happened yet.
“What would happen if each of you thought of one person you know who is currently away from the faith and you decided to pray for them, to befriend them and then to invite them to take one more step closer to Jesus and his Church?” Bishop Cozzens asked the Stadium crowd on the final day. “What would happen if 70 million Catholics did that?”
We know that Jesus Christ wants the Congress to be a success, and that he put all the elements in place to help it along. All that is left is for us to act on it.
And today we celebrate...