Indianapolis prepares for 10th National Eucharistic CongressJaime Reyna: "The Eucharistic Congress is the best spiritual investment we can make".On the afternoon of July 17, the X National Eucharistic Congress began in Indianapolis, Indiana. More than 50,000 people gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium to attend the solemn opening of the event. It is the first time in 83 years that the Catholic Church in the United States has gathered at a national level to be, adore and learn about Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Most Holy Eucharist.
The Congress began with a solemn procession and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. A few minutes before, about 50 pilgrims who accompanied the Blessed Sacrament in procession from four different routes covering the four cardinal points of the United States entered amidst applause.
Two years of preparation
Afterwards, adoration began, which was accompanied by live music and moments of silence. Andrew Cozzens, Bishop of Crookston and president of the executive board of the 10th Congress, presided over the solemn Eucharistic act. In his address, the prelate addressed a prayer to Jesus: "Lord, we have prepared ourselves for two years and today we are gathered to celebrate the gift of the Eucharist. In that time we had thousands of hours of adoration in different parts of the country, at the local and diocesan level. We made a 65-day pilgrimage from different parts of the USA. Today we want to be transformed. We want you to transform us into missionary disciples, filled with the joy of the Gospel and grateful for the salvation you have given us. We are sinners, but we are yours. By your blood we were acquired for you. We desire a profound conversion. Change our hearts to be like yours. Our world so needs peace, especially Ukraine and the Holy Land. Give us the gift of unity and peace. We also pray for our country and our church. May we all be one, consecrated in your truth, united as one Church under our Holy Father Pope Francis. Jesus, in you we trust," said Msgr. Cozzens, who at the end imparted the blessing.
After Eucharistic adoration, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the USA, opened the sessions of the Congress. In his address, he referred to the Eucharist as the sacrament and source of the Church's unity: "Perhaps our main prayer for this Eucharistic Congress is that, as a Church, we may grow in unity so that we may be more fruitful in our mission".
If we are living well the initiative of the Renaissance and the Eucharistic Congress, he said, one of the fruits should be the building of bridges of unity. In this sense, the cardinal exhorted the attendees to ask the Lord during their moments of prayer and adoration to "get out of their comfort zone to avoid the resistances that prevent full unity and a closer relationship with God."
The ways of God
The second keynote speaker on the first day of the Congress was Sister "Bethany", from the diocesan institute of women's religious life "Sisters for Life" (".Sisters of Life"), founded in 1991 by New York Cardinal John J. O'Connor. Its mission is the defense of human life through evangelization (especially to university students) and support for women who are vulnerable or have suffered an abortion.
In her address, Sister Bethany alluded to the Emmaus Road and related it to her experiences in her apostolate in defense of life. The painful experiences in our lives, she said, the betrayals and failures - however unexpected and untimely - "can be invitations to have greater faith, hope and love. In a word, to have greater confidence to accept God's unwavering goodness. In faith, the nun pointed out, we should not measure things according to the world's standards, especially according to success, since "Jesus died suffering what was apparently a total failure. But that is how he redeemed the world: triumphantly on the cross," said Sister Bethany.
The Sister exhorted the attendees "not to cling to worldly ways", seeking only comfort, avoiding the demands of discipleship and resisting the will of the Lord. Sister exhorted the congress participants to bring everything to Jesus during the congress: "Nothing is too much for him. Ask for his mercy. Ask for His grace and surrender to Him", she concluded.
Sessions, exhibitions and relics
In addition to the plenary sessions and opportunities to attend various catecheses, participants in the congress will be able to attend the celebration of Mass in different languages and will also be able to have recourse to the sacrament of confession. Parallel to the event, two exhibitions will be held, the first on the mantle of Turin and the second on the Eucharistic miracles.
There will also be a chapel where the relics of the patron saints of the Renaissance and the Eucharistic Congress will be exhibited: Carlo Acutis, Manuel González García, Pascual Baylón, Junípero Serra, Juan Diego and Elizabeth Ann Seton. Another novelty will be the presentation in the United States of the French musical "Bernadette", which narrates the apparitions of the Virgin of Lourdes to the little shepherdess.
The activities of the Congress will continue until July 21 and can be followed live on its website. web page.
