Last week the Eucharistic Congress was held in Indianapolis, and in honor of the event Fr. Matt led us in a Eucharistic Revival evening here at Saint Katharine’s. If you missed the evening with Fr. Matt and would like to watch the recording you can access it here: A Recipe for Eucharistic Revival
I’d also encourage you to read the below reflection from parishioner Dan Kmiecik who attended the Eucharistic Congress with his son. It is inspiring to see the photos he shared and hear how the event impacted him:
“Were not our hearts burning within us?” My son, Todd, and I reflected on this question from the story of Emmaus as we attended the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last week. We gathered with 50,000 pilgrims from across the United States for four days of prayer, celebration, and fellowship. That’s more than can fit in the Orioles’ stadium in Baltimore! Throughout the Congress, Todd and I experienced what it was to be part of the universal Church as we prayed and walked alongside bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and everyday lay people like ourselves.
Each day started with Mass and ended with Adoration. In between:
- We heard from speakers like Fr. Mike Schmitz, Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, Sister Bethany Madonna, and Jonathan Roumie, star of The Chosen.
- We sang and worshipped with Matt Maher, whose music we sing at our Sunday Masses.
- We venerated the relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Junípero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Juan Diego.
- And as a highlight, we processed through the streets of Indianapolis with the Eucharist—with people lining the streets for over a mile.
One of the speakers at the Congress said, “Sometimes our problem is I don’t know, but too often it’s I don’t care.” That can be me sometimes: I get distracted at Mass. I try to pray after Communion, but my mind wanders. But because of the Congress, I came home ready to refocus and renew and deepen my love for Jesus present in the Eucharist.
The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host.” I pray that each member of St. Katharine’s experience this love. In the spirit of the National Eucharistic Revival, may we all experience our own “Emmaus moment” when we encounter Jesus in the breaking of the bread!
