Amazing. Spiritually Amazing!
As my wife Dada and I await for our flight home (in spite of likely delays), these words summarize what we feel in our hearts: were not our hearts burning! The July 17-21 National Eucharistic Congress not only packed with the announced 60,000 pilgrims, but also profoundly packed with spiritually moving teachings and testimonies, praise, worship and fellowship.
As Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in The Chosen mini-series, proclaimed on the last Revival Session on July 20: ‘Jesus is here’ to the delight and loud applause of the pilgrims in Lucas Oil Stadium as his face look like and voice sounded like Jesus! He continued by saying: seriously!
The Holy Spirit was definitely present with the energy flowing in the stadium. The evening ended with breath-taking Adoration and Benediction. We went back to the hotel, feeling the Eucharistic presence of Jesus.
Among the powerful presenters and Catholic speakers throughout the Congress were Dr Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert Barron, Chris Stefanick – an acclaimed author, speaker and television host who is best known for writing The Chosen confirmation program and the Search Program published by the Ascension Press – as well as Fr. Leo Patalinhug on his ‘Plating Grace’, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and many other popular speakers.
Prior to the last session, pilgrims packed the Indianapolis streets for the Eucharistic Procession. Hundreds of seminarians, religious sisters, deacons, priests and bishops led the procession as pilgrims lined up singing hymns and praying. As the Blessed Sacrament passed by, the pilgrims knelt in silent and reverent adoration on the hot streets of Indianapolis.
On Sunday, July 21,, Cardinal Antonio ‘Chito’ Tagle, papal delegate led the Eucharistic Celebration with the culmination of the sending off, charging the pilgrims to be Eucharistic missionaries: Go! Go proclaim the Real Presence of Jesus in your lives.
The solemn entrance procession took close to 30 minutes with hundreds of seminarians, deacons, priests and bishops processing in. The celebration brought some chills as I recalled the Papal Mass in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium almost two years ago.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens, chairman of the Eucharistic Congress in closing gave tribute of thanks to the many key stakeholders, volunteers and pilgrims who made the Eucharistic Congress a success. As he closed in, Bishop Cozzens announced the bishops have discerned that the next Eucharistic Congress: 2033, the ‘year of redemption’. In between there will be Eucharistic Pilgrimages beginning next year June 2025 on the feast of Corpus Christi in Los Angeles,.
Overall, all we can only say and describe the Congress as unbelievable! Yet we believe. We believe in the Real Presence of the Jesus in the Eucharist.
-Deacon Gem Mella is a permanent deacon and the diaconal formation lead for the Archdiocese of Edmonton. He and his wife Dada are attending the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.