In what organizers believe may be the largest Eucharistic procession in decades, thousands of pilgrims took to the streets of downtown Indianapolis July 20 to join the final Eucharistic procession of the National Eucharistic Congress. OSV
FIXED ON JESUS
National
Congress
sends forth
Catholics to ignite new Pentecost as Eucharistic missionaries
BY PETER JESSERER SMITH OSV News
As five days of the National Eucharistic Congress concluded with one final revival and a solemn Mass in Lucas Oil Stadium – Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., stood in Lucas Oil Stadium.
“I have a question for you,” he told the crowd. “This is the 10th National Eucharistic Congress – do you think we should do an 11th one?”
Some 60,000 Congress participants – representing 50 U.S. states, 17 countries, and various Eastern and Western Churches, and speaking over 40 languages – cheered wildly in the stadium.
They also again rose to their feet to give the U.S. Cath-
olic bishops an enthusiastic standing ovation for making possible the five-day Congress with its impact sessions, breakout sessions, special events, revival nights with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction and vibrant Masses.
The event reflected the diversity of a Church all united in the same Eucharistic Lord and eager to use their gifts for a new Pentecost in the Church.
JOY AND REVERENCE
The first day of the July 17-21 Congress began with an evening revival as the 30 perpetual pilgrims, who had walked the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes, took their final official steps of their eight-week journey into the stadium carrying icons of each route’s respective patron saints – St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin,
News photo/Bob Roller
musician Matt Maher performs during the July 20, 2024, revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Revived by Christ’s Body
Continued from 9
St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Blessed Virgin Mary – that were put around the altar where the Blessed Sacrament was placed.
“How will we know that we are experiencing Eucharistic revival?” Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S., asked in his keynote speech July 17, encouraging everyone to surrender their hearts to the Lord over the next few days. “When we are truly revived by the Eucharist,” he said, “then our encounter with Christ’s Real Presence in the Sacrament opens us to an encounter with him in the rest of our life” and then “spills over in our daily life, a life of relating to others, our way of seeing others.”
Every day of the Congress began with most Congress-goers joining in reverently celebrated Eucharistic liturgies in the stadium – including a July 20 Holy Qurbana, the Syro-Malabar form of the Eucharistic liturgy, prayed in English. Additional morning and evening Masses were celebrated at nearby sites in different languages, such as Spanish or Vietnamese, or in different forms, such as the Byzantine rite or the older usage of the Roman rite.
Three days of the Congress, July 18-20, were split between seven morning impact sessions and nearly 20 afternoon breakout sessions on a variety of topics meant to form, equip and inspire people, including clergy, to live more deeply their faith in light of Jesus making himself truly present in the Eucharist – and how to practically bring what they have learned into their parishes, ministries, groups and families.
The exhibit halls in the Indiana Convention Center were packed throughout the Congress, as long lines formed for
Jonathan Roumie, best known for his TV role as Jesus Christ in “The Chosen,” speaks during the July 20 revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress.
Pilgrims and worshippers kneel before Jesus in the monstrance after arriving for a Mass to welcome pilgrims at St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis July 16, 2024, just ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress.
exhibits such as the Shroud of Turin or Eucharistic miracles. Religious sisters provided a kind of spiritual air traffic control that guided people to the lengthy Confession lines.
The convention center was also a place where the spontaneity of joy could be seen and felt. Young people marched through chanting their love for Jesus, while further on, a group
Catholic
OSV News photos/Bob Roller
A mother holds her child as Sister Josephine Garrett, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the host of a podcast titled “Hope Stories,” speaks July 19, 2024, during the revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium.
of Catholic women, dressed in traditional apparel from Cameroon, sang and danced their love for Jesus and Mary to the delight of people who gathered around them.
Tens of thousands of Congress-goers at the revivals – and the liturgies as well – eagerly joined in singing hymns and chants, both traditional and contemporary, in English, Spanish, Latin and other languages. The Congress saw the musicianship of Dave and Lauren Moore, Sarah Kroger and Matt Maher, as well as the talents of the men’s ensemble Floriani and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
“The reverence was just awe-inspiring, and that’s something I would like to take back to our parish,” Deacon Robb Caputo of the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., told OSV News.
The nightly revival sessions created a sensory experience of awe around the Eucharistic Lord, as tens of thousands prayed in silent contemplation before the Eucharist on the altar –illuminated in the dark stadium by spotlights. Adoring Jesus in the stadium, concluding with Benediction, was the pinnacle movement of each evening.
Keynote speakers and testimonies helped keep people’s eyes fixed on Jesus’ personal love for them and his desire to be close to them.
One such nightly revival focused on healing, which indicated the problem with Catholic belief in the Eucharist, was more about the heart than the head and asked Catholics to repent of their indifference to Jesus.
SHARED EXPERIENCES
The Congress offered opportunities for well-known spiritual figures to deliver inspiring witness.
“Knowledge can make us great, but only love can make a saint,” said Father Mike Schmitz, the Diocese of Duluth, Min-
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, waves as he delivers the homily July 21, 2024, during the final Mass of the National Eucharistic Congress.
nesota, priest known for chart-topping podcasts “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year.”
Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, who survived four wars in the Middle East, recounted how in the midst of her own personal suffering she heard Jesus say in her heart: “That even on the cross and through the cross, we can still choose to love.”
Jonathan Roumie, the actor famous for his portrayal of Jesus in the hit miniseries “The Chosen,” told the audience at the final revival night July 20 after reading Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse from John 6, “The Eucharist for me is healing. The Eucharist for me is peace, the Eucharist for me is my grounding. The Eucharist for me is his heart within me.”
“The Eucharist for me is grounding ... is his heart within me.”
Organizers also made intentional efforts to be inclusive of families and those with disabilities, particularly those with sensory disorders, so they could also experience the Congress and participate fully in the experience.
Murielle and Dominic Blanchard of Gallup, New Mexico, navigated the Congress with six children aged 8 and under, including 20-month twins, and a baby on the way. They said the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium was key for them, because it provided both formation for their older children and had space for the twins to play.
Throughout the Congress, the historic and stately St. John Catholic Church across from the Indiana Convention Center’s main entrance fulfilled its role as a spiritual hub. A steady flow of pilgrims came and went from the main church
Every Catholic’s call to Eucharistic mission
BY LAURETTA BROWN OSV News
The average Catholic in the pew hearing the term “Eucharistic missionary” might think this is a special role in the Church, performed by well-trained holy people in some far-flung region. And yet, every Catholic is called to be a Eucharistic missionary.
The faithful’s everyday call to a Eucharistic encounter that ultimately leads to the life of a Eucharistic missionary is the topic of the book “For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission.” The work is co-authored by Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., who has been leading the U.S. bishops’ three-year National Eucharistic Revival, and Tim Glemkowski, the outgoing CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc.
A fruit of the bishops’ Eucharistic Revival efforts, the work outlines the foundation of a Eucharistic life that the faithful are called to participate in, and also concrete ways to embrace that call.
“Mission is not an accidental quality, but essential to the reception of Jesus.”
The book offers a poignant re-emphasis on the need to encounter Jesus Christ as a living person in the Eucharist, drawing from Scripture and the saints. In one letter from Mother Teresa of Calcutta to her sisters, she asks, “Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books, but from being with him in your heart?
Have you heard the loving words he speaks to you? Ask for the grace, he is longing simply to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear him saying ‘I thirst’ in the hearts of the poor.”
An understanding of one’s identity in the Eucharist follows this personal encounter with Jesus. Quoting the Second Vatican Council, the authors note that “the other Sacraments, as well as with every ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate, are tied together with the Eucharist and are directed toward it.”
A portion of the book is dedicated to understanding how to live in communion with one another, centered around the Eucharist. This means loving, serving and forgiving others as well
The cover of “For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission” by Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Tim Glemkowski, released in Spring 2024. OSV News illustration/ courtesy Our Sunday Visitor, Publishing Division.
as joining in the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist by offering our trials and sufferings in union with the sacrifice of the Mass. According to the great Carmelite spiritual writer Father Wilfrid Stinissen, “A great deal would happen in our lives if every time we celebrated the Eucharist we would place on the paten something of our own, something that we know is directed wrongly and therefore blocks us. … We imagine all too often that we must offer beautiful things to God. But the beautiful does not need to be offered to God. It is already in God’s sphere. It is the evil, that which has not yet found its right place, that must be lifted up and placed there, where it belongs, in God’s radiance.”
As the faithful draw closer to Jesus in the Eucharist, we are sent out on a mission to spread His message to others. The two are linked, the authors emphasize, writing, “the Eucharist is the heart of the Church’s mission, its source and summit. And mission is not an accidental quality, but essential to the reception of Jesus in the Eucharist. In every Mass, Jesus himself goes on mission, rushing down to the altar, to accomplish some definite purpose. Therefore, the final step in becoming a Eucharistic missionary is to make his purpose in becoming the bread of life ours.”
As the authors highlight inspiring words of the saints and point out ways to be Eucharistic missionaries in our everyday lives, they also acknowledge the climate of division in our world today.
“We believe that the Eucharist is the answer to the problems of our world,” they write, “because the Eucharist contains the entire spiritual wealth of the Church: Christ himself.” They ask the Lord to “form us in the Eucharistic life that he himself lived, so that we might give ourselves, too, for the life of the world.”
Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News.
To read more about the Eucharistic Congress on TrentonMonitor.com>Seasons & Celebrations.
Minnesota Catholics recall crowd of 80,000 in Eucharistic procession for 1941 Congress
BY OSV NEWS
ST. PAUL, Minn. • When Sue Taylor started on a Eucharistic procession from Como Regional Park in St. Paul to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds with her seventh-grade classmates and 80,000 others on a hot June day during the 1941 National Eucharistic Congress, she thought that Pope Pius XII himself was under the processional canopy, carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a silver monstrance.
“I now know it was St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop (John Gregory) Murray processing in with all these priests and all the pomp and circumstance,” said Taylor, 95, a parishioner at St. Peter in Mendota.
Early in the procession, an unexpected downpour drenched Taylor, other procession participants and the roughly 170,000 spectators who lined the route on June 26, the final day of
“I’m anticipating great things coming out of the 2024 Eucharistic Revival and Congress.”
the Congress.
More than 80 years later, as Catholics around the country gear up for the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21, Taylor and several other Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis shared memories of the 1941 Congress, whose theme was “Our Eucharistic Lord Glorified by Sacrifice.” (The last Eucharistic Congress in the United States was an international Congress held in Philadelphia in 1976).
Christian Brother Paul Grass, 89, who was 6 and had just finished kindergarten, said, “The Mass is the key.”
Even at age 5, Rosemary Hayes, now
A candlelit crowd is seen at midnight Mass during the 1941 National Eucharistic Congress at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minn. OSV News
Rosemary Hayes is pictured on the day of her first Communion in this undated photo. OSV News photo/courtesy Rosemary Hayes
88, said she knew the Congress was about “the Eucharist.”
“I’m anticipating great things coming out of the 2024 Eucharistic Revival and Congress,” said Taylor, who planned to watch the Congress on TV. “I don’t know if it’s going to be a mass conversion but it’s going to get people to think and … maybe it’ll wake them up to just the power there, the power of God.”
photo/Courtesy Archives of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Pilgrims from the Diocese stand before a sign with a reminder message “Revival Can’t Stay Here.” Even though the Congress has ended, much still needs to be done in teaching about the Eucharist. Courtesy photo
Congress was time of grace for pilgrims
BY MARY STADNYK Associate Editor
The 30 or so women and men from all parts of the Diocese who attended the July 17-21 Eucharistic Congress could not contain their excitement about their experiences in Indianapolis. Words such as “riveting,” “life-changing” and “blessed” were among the descriptives.
For five days, the pilgrims, including Father Martin O’Reilly and Josue Arriola, the co-chairs of the Eucharistic Congress for the Diocese, sought to deepen their understanding about the Eucharist and desire to place Jesus at the center of their lives. They did so by participating in Masses, prayer services, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, workshops presented by well-known, national Catholic speakers and hearing personal testimonies of faith and conversion experiences.
The pilgrims were buoyed about a week before their departure when they gathered for a send-off Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, where they prayed together, shared camaraderie and heard a greeting from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who
had sent a letter to be read by Father O’Reilly.
The Bishop extended his best wishes and prayers for a safe and prayerful journey, saying, “As you go forth from the Diocese to Indianapolis, you could not have a better traveling companion than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. May the Eucharistic Congress renew and invigorate your faith and the communion we share with each other.”
“The opportunity comes with a call to share with others what I encountered.”
Once the Eucharistic Congress was ended and the pilgrims arrived home, all were more than willing to share highlights of their experiences.
“For me, attending the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis was a blessing in so many ways,” said Father O’Reilly. “Seeing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that were actively at work across America over the past two years was simply amazing.”
“The message that was emphasized throughout the Congress was to take our faith and share it with the world,” said Barbara Rookey of St. Monica Parish, Jackson. “We are the Church that goes out from itself.”
Deacon Joseph Sbarra of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, found the Congress to be a “powerful reminder to every Catholic that we need the Eucharist to sustain us on our faith journey and that it unites us as members of the Body of Christ.”
Through her experience at the Congress, Amanda Kleinmann of St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, believes that “God revealed to me that going forward, I must evangelize using his limitless love that he graced me with so that others may encounter him fully and truly feel loved as beautiful children of God.”
Poor Clare Sister Monica Muncada of the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield, said she was “incredibly grateful” to God and her religious community “for the profoundly meaningful experience I had at the Eucharistic Congress.
“It was such a sacred moment for all of us,” she said. “The opportunity to be part of this event comes with a call to share with others what I encountered.”
Eucharistic Congress 2024 was awe-inspiring experience
IBy FATHER MARTIN O’REILLY Special Contributorr
’m sure many of us remember the old saying: “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Well, time flies when you are busy too!
It is hard to believe that our official launch of the Eucharistic Revival was the weekend of June 2022, the feast of Corpus Christi. On behalf of Josue Arriola and myself I would like to thank Bishop O’Connell for trusting us with such an important mission and appointing us as co-chairs of the Eucharistic Revival for the Diocese of Trenton. I would like to also acknowledge and thank the Eucharistic Revival committee for their commitment and dedication to its the mission: Milady Gonzalez, Deacon Gerard Luongo, Catherine Werner, Patty Baylog, Jossie Ramos and Lilian Juan. Without them it just would not have happened.
... we should never shy away from our expression of that love and faith ...
For me, attending the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis was a blessing in so many ways. Seeing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that was actively at work across America over the past two years was simply amazing. At the official opening ceremony when the pilgrims that had walked from the four corners of America entered Lucas Oil Stadium carrying an image of the saint that journeyed with them was very emotional, heartwarming and spiritually uplifting. To see the joy on the faces of all the young pilgrims that had walked with Jesus during the past 60 days, I can only imagine what stories and experi-
ences they must have stored in their hearts. Trust me, there will be books and documentaries in the months and years ahead enlightening us of what it was like to walk with Jesus across our country.
On a more personal note, the Congress gave me personal time to sit and just be with Jesus. Sometimes as a priest you can get so caught up in the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work. It was good to sit and listen, to listen in personal prayer, and to listen to the many wonderful selection of speakers.
One of the most impressionable speakers for me was Sister Olga. Her personal journey to the Catholic faith is a miracle in itself but she didn’t speak about that. Instead, she spoke about the power of the Eucharist. She shared several testimonials, but the one that was so very powerful was about a young mother who gave birth to premature twins. One of the twins died and the other was fighting for her life. Every Sunday, Sister Olga would go to the hospital and bring the Eucharist in a pyx and place it on the pillow beside the baby’s head. On one Sunday the baby reached out her hand and placed it on the pyx containing Christ in the Eucharist. It was as if Christ was saying, “We are in this together.” The baby has now celebrated
her first birthday and is doing well. The power of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Eucharistic Congress and the past two years have helped me to realize the love many people have for Christ in the Eucharist. I know when polls show numbers of those who don’t believe, it can be quiet disturbing. But it is also important to note the numbers who truly love Jesus is great, and we should never shy away from our expression of that love and faith especially when the negative message is grabbing the headlines. I think an important lesson for us as a Diocese is to provide a public arena, like what took place in Indianapolis, but on a smaller scale, and call God’s people to come away for awhile and be with Christ in the Eucharist. I personally feel that a Diocesan Eucharistic Congress every two to three years would be a good thing to consider. Right now, nothing has been decided, either locally or at a national level, but is something we can all put to prayer.
Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us as we move forward following the Eucharistic Revival and the Eucharist Congress.
Father Martin O’Reilly, pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown, and episcopal vicar of Burlington County, serves as a co-chair of the Eucharistic Revival for the Diocese of Trenton.
Father Martin O’Reilly, right, is pictured with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio in the United States.
Courtesy photo
Making Catholic History
Upon returning to the Diocese of Trenton, pilgrims shared their personal stories of the Eucharistic Congress, and how they were empowered to take their experience out to the world. Their reflections follow:
Ximena Bustamante,
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown:
I am very grateful to my pastor and my parish for allowing me attended the Congress. This has been a blessing for me, my family and my community. I went knowing that we have Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist, but ... it was just the Eucharist and that was all. But when I got there and I opened my heart, mind and soul to God, I experienced something else: a desire to learn more and more about the Eucharist and to receive [him] more often. There were so many preachers, but one who touched me deeply was Father Mike Schmitz. He said, “without repentance, we’re not having a real revival in our hearts” (my interpretation). Since that day, I’ve been thinking on how to put it into practice in my daily life.
Even though we had revival sessions here at the parish, we need to do more to let the people know about the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We are living like the disciples going to Emmaus, walking with Jesus without knowing it – this is us coming to Church every weekend, but not realizing that Jesus gives himself to us in every Eucharist as Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
We have a lot of work to do, and we can start with families; they are the domestic Church that needs to enrich the flame of love of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist.
Amanda Kleinmann, St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills:
How can I begin to describe this week? It’s an encounter that can’t be confined in a book!
Ever since the Catholic Church announced a three-year Eucharistic Revival, I was interested in taking my faith to a deeper level. I believed Christ was truly the Bread of Life and not merely a symbol, but my heart didn’t yet experience what that meant. It wasn’t until my parish hosted the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit that a spark in my heart had started to kindle. I started praying for an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. Shortly after, God led me to commit myself to a year meditating on his Passion with St. Bridget, participate in Prayer-Life workshops with Father Larrañaga, and consecrate myself to Mary. I developed a thirst to know more and live day-to-day with Jesus! The third day of my consecration to Mary, God revealed his love so clearly that I couldn’t stop crying tears of joy. [I was] seeing with new eyes that every creation was good, and that Christ was in it all! That day I went to a healing Mass and Holy Hour at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, and falling to my knees, completely fell in love with Jesus; now I receive him daily! I knew then and there that I needed to
be at the Eucharistic Revival Congress to thank God and to see what he’s calling me to do with my daily encounter with him. This week, I spent many hours a day with Jesus – Mass every morning, followed by talks, breakout sessions, great community, a night reflection, finishing each day with a Eucharist procession and Holy Hour accompanied by some of the most angelic choirs that make you taste a piece of heaven! God revealed to me that going forward, I must evangelize using his limitless love that he graced me with so that others may encounter him fully and truly feel loved as beautiful children of God.
Poor Clare Sister Monica Muncada, Monastery
of St. Clare, Chesterfield:
I am incredibly grateful to God and my community for the profoundly meaningful experience I had at the Eucharistic Congress. It was such a sacred moment for all of us. To encapsulate my experience in a few words would be a challenge! But feeling BLESSED, “CHOSEN,” and GRATEFUL sums up my Eucharistic Congress experience. The opportunity to be part of this event comes with a call to share with others what I encountered. As a religious, it calls me to a deeper commitment to the life I am called
Pilgrims kneel and capture images of the Eucharistic procession making its way through the streets of Indianapolis. Photo courtesy of Barbara Rookey
to live and to be present to my Sisters in the community in “flesh and blood.”
Theresa Pulvano, St. Joseph Parish, Toms River:
The National Eucharistic Congress was absolutely incredible! To be there with 60,000 other Catholics was truly a gift from God. … Each day we adored him, and the stadium was filled with joy and love. The Eucharistic procession filled the streets as we waited with anticipation of his presence. We praised and worshipped him for five days enjoying his love for us!
I learned that the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. … He loves us unconditionally even though we are sinners. I will take that to the people that I go to church with. I am in a prayer group and also the parish nurse at St. Joseph’s; I can tell them that it’s so great to receive him each day. The more you receive the Eucharist, the more that you fall in love with him, As I received him each day, I feel so joyful; even though I may struggle, I know that Jesus is always with me. When you take the Eucharist, it’s
food for your soul. The fire of the Holy Spirit creates a burning passion that moves you forward aligning you with his holy will. We as Catholics are so blessed that we can have the Eucharist every day!
Mary Neary, Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton
“It’s time for faithful Catholics to stop trying to live for God. Instead, we should start living from him,” exhorted Msgr. James Shea. His words pierced through me like a lightning bolt! For the first time I understood Paul’s words to the Galatians (2:20), “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Over a year ago when I first heard about the Eucharistic Congress, I knew I had to attend. My desire to live “for” God has always been my heartfelt prayer. But suddenly as I sat with 60,000 pilgrims, I
Deacon Joe Sbarra and his wife Alejandra pose outside one of the Indianapolis buildings during their trip to the Eucharistic Congress. Courtesy photo
experienced a profound and new revelation as I contemplated Jesus in the Eucharist. It was “from” him; receiving Jesus in the Eucharist that enabled me to live out my baptismal call. Yes, I desire to live “for” him, but only “through him, with him, and in him” would I be able to love sacrificially and repeat with confidence the words of our Blessed Mother, “Let it be done unto me according to thy will.”
In his talk, Msgr. Shea continued to encourage us with these words, “The Body and Blood of the Lord is the source of our life, our energy, and our joy. So, let’s eat and drink here and every day to our heart’s content, and then let’s rush out into a starving world and tell everybody we meet, ‘Starving people, listen! We found where the food is!’”
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” now echoes in my heart. Therefore, I am ready to go wherever God sends me to share with a hungry world where the food is! Good people of the Diocese of Trenton, are you ready to go with me?
Barbara Rookey, St. Monica Parish, Jackson:
I wish that everyone could have attended the Congress. Being among 60,000 Catholics every day was awesome, so much in common yet so varied. On our first day I (literally) bumped into a woman who worked in the building in which we were standing.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said. “Who are all those men in white? What are they doing? I know you Catholics are here, but I’m not Catholic so I don’t get it.” She was referring to the hundreds of priests filing into a huge room for morning Mass. “And the hats?” I explained those were bishops. I was evangelizing on my first day!
The message that was emphasized throughout the Congress was to take our faith and share it with the world. We are the Church that goes out from itself. The Eucharist is not our private possession; it is meant to conform us to Christ who gives his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity to the world. Christ
Amanda Kleinmann, member of St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, poses inside the Lucas Oil Stadium between inspiring speakers.
Courtesy photo
Poor Clare Sister Monica Muncada, second from right, attends the Eucharistic Congress with fellow Sisters. Courtesy photo
In Focus
is at our side to enlighten and strengthen us to share the Gospel with confidence.
Cardinal [Luis Antonio] Tagle, Bishop [Robert] Barron and so many others encouraged us to accept the mission of giving of oneself to others: To go to Mass with the gift of your smile and share it with the lost or confused or weak. To be sent as a gift for the sake of the word. To tell the cashier in the store that Jesus loves him. To wave and smile and use all your fingers when someone cuts you off in the Parkway. Chris Stefanick remarked that two-thirds of “God” is “go.” After this experience, I will Go!
Deacon Joseph Sbarra, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown:
Attending and participating in the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress was a deeply moving experience that I will never forget. It was awe-inspiring to be one of 60,000 fellow Catholics united in our devotion to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
We listened to leading Catholic voices in the United States, who shared their hearts and wisdom not only about the Eucharist, but also about how we can bring the love of Jesus Christ to a world full of people who are confused, suffering or broken. We were nourished and strengthened by the reception of the Eucharist daily at Mass. We had the honor and privilege of spending time with Jesus in Adoration each day, listening to his voice and experiencing his profound love.
The highlight for me was participating in the Eucharistic procession through the streets of the city of Indianapolis. Witnessing the public display of our faith and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament not only deepened my personal devotion but also reminded the world of the centrality of the Eucharist in our Catholic faith.
The Congress has lifted my heart and strengthened my commitment to my ministry as a Catholic deacon. It was a powerful reminder to every Catholic that we need the Eucharist to sustain us on our faith journey and that it unites us as members of the Body of Christ. I am excited to share the experiences and insights from the Congress with my parish, and I hope and pray that they will inspire and lead others to deepen their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Fran Stinsman, Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton
I was filled with awe that God has called me to be a part of his great work, his Church. It was encouraging and uplifting to see so many cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons and religious come together singing the praises of our awesome God. It was also a blessing to see the different orders of religious Sisters in habits, sporting every color. They were such a witness for the young women who were there. It is amazing to see 60,000 people come together filled with joy. I couldn’t help thinking, I need more joy!
Then Bishop Robert Barron, quoting Dorothy Day, called all of us laity present to live vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the Word of God. Poverty by detachment to things of the world, chastity by living moral lives and obedience by being careful who and what we are listening to. God has called us to be a part of his Church, and we respond with our yes by sharing him with others.
George Tower, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown
The NEC was an amazing, energizing, healing, and thought-provoking experience. It was especially moving to be one of 60,000 Catholics who knelt in reverence as Jesus entered the stadium. I felt his presence in my heart. He was with all of us both together and individually. His mercy was overflowing!
Sister Miriam James encouraged us to bring everything to prayer. Jesus wants to heal us! A healing service was held, and I was one of many who experienced a healing. I had a very mild case of bursitis in my left knee, and it had flared up during the Congress. I never even considered asking God for healing because I felt there were others battling worse conditions that needed prayer more than I. But, at Sister’s urging, I faithfully offered it up during the healing service and asked Jesus to help. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit come into me and the bursitis is gone!
The Eucharist as food and spiritual nourishment was a common theme throughout the Congress, [as were] connections between Abraham and Isaac in the Old
Posing with friends is Mary Neary, member of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton. Courtesy photo
Ximena Bustamante, right, member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, takes a photo with a fellow pilgrim, Alberto Bellinip. Courtesy photo
Testament and Jesus in the New Testament. Issac’s life was spared and a ram, caught in thistles, was sacrificed instead. Jesus, the unblemished lamb, crowned with thorns, gave His life for the redemption of the world. The world is starving. We often seek nourishment in vices – power, fame, pleasure and wealth. But none of these will satisfy us. The human heart has an innate desire to be connected with God. Jesus in the Eucharist is that connection. We need to evangelize and proclaim we have found where the real food is! I pray that I can be the light of Christ to the world and keep Jesus always in my heart.
Lettieri is seen filming the Eucharistic Procession May 30 over the Lower Trenton Bridge using the Steadicam in this drone footage.
A Heavenly Perspective: The filming of ‘Walking with Jesus’
BY ROSE O’CONNOR Digital and Social Media Manager
Recently, more than 6,000 viewers witnessed the Diocese of Trenton’s participation in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, May 28-30, when Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was carried by diocesan representatives and perpetual pilgrims across the Delaware River over the Lower Trenton Bridge. There, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., would hand off the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament to Auxiliary Bishop John McIntyre from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Through the efforts of the diocesan Department of Multimedia Production, led by director Marianne Hartman and supported by producers and editors Ryan Larason and Frank Lettieri, this historical moment was experienced not only by those present, but also by those unable to attend the pilgrimage, through a uniquely filmed video entitled “Walking with Jesus.”
Hartman explained that during the three-day pilgrimage in the Diocese of Trenton, where pilgrims along the Seton Route visited St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton, St. Mary of the Pines Church in Manahawkin, and
St. Mary Church in Bordentown, “Our main priority was to deliver the livestreams of the Masses and processions to those people who could not attend. In the filming of the livestreams, we captured 20 hours of video footage that would help us tell the story of the historic visit in a mini-documentary.”
How do you condense 20 hours of footage into a nine-minute video?
“Excerpts from Bishop O’Connell’s homilies provided a great outline for the documentary. A good explanation would be I give it the bones and Frank and Ryan give it flesh,” Hartman said.
“The editing was the easiest part because it all fit together linearly. We had fantastic footage, so it was as simple as ‘that shot is perfect for this section!’” Lettieri shared.
While filming and livestreaming Masses has become common practice for the trio, filming some parts of the Eucharistic procession were more challenging than others and required using additional resources not typically employed, Larason offered.
“Crossing the bridge was one of our more challenging pieces – the bridge was narrow, and we only had one shot at getting the footage we needed. We chose to cover the crossing with a drone, two camera people in Pa., and Frank,
our Steadicam operator, moving with the procession. Having all these moving pieces come together to capture incredible footage of the unique event was a great triumph.”
While wearing a Steadicam allows for smooth shots that are isolated from the camera operator’s movements, Lettieri agreed that filming on the bridge, in spite of the challenges, was worth it in the end.
“The distance covered while walking backward was definitely difficult at the pace they were moving. The most difficult part, however, was the wind on top of the bridge, which was gusting and trying to skew the angle of the shot. However, with the combination of the Steadicam and drone footage, it turned out wonderfully.”
Hartman agreed that using different equipment, the team was able to produce a unique and moving encapsulation of the three-day event.
“I was especially pleased with the drone footage during the pilgrimage in Trenton and crossing the bridge. It was like seeing it from God’s view from above, looking down upon us. Hopefully, God was pleased,” she said.
To view “Walking with Jesus” visit www.youtube.com/trentondiocese or scan the QR code.
Frank
Drone footage provides a bird’s eye view of the Eucharist Procession crossing the Lower Trenton Bridge into Pennsylvania May 31. “Walking with Jeus” video screenshots