A group of more than 70 pilgrims from the Diocese of Venice joined Bishop Frank J. Dewane at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, which took place July 17-21, 2024. They were among the estimated 60,000 participants in the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, an epic moment in the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival promoted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The pilgrims to Indianapolis were encouraged to share the message of the Cogress to the world, that of placing a greater emphasis on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. at home and in their Parishes as the Revival enters the final Year of Mission.
One pilgrim, Deacon Dr. David Reardon, who is the Diocesan Director of Diaconate Personnel and serves at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Fort Myers, was inspired to write a reflection on the experience. This reflection appeared in the Aug. 25, 2024, bulletin of Resurrection Parish and is reprinted with permission.
“My wife, Mary, and I were blessed to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July as part of the delegation from the Diocese of Venice. The experience was perhaps the greatest faith experience we have had in our lives. Certainly, in the top 5.
The most striking thing at the Congress was the great joy expressed by everyone and the peace that we all experienced.
Every Mass, every opportunity for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and every presentation we attended was profoundly inspiring and moving. To be in Lucas Oil Stadium with 50 to 60 thousand faithful Catholics all praying, singing, worshiping, loving and being loved by Our Lord in His Eucharistic Presence in complete unity brought us to tears regularly. Walking through downtown Indianapolis in an Eucharistic Procession with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for the world to see made us proud to be Catholic.
At Mass in the stadium, the entrance procession alone inspired awe. There were hundreds of seminarians, Deacons, Priests, and Bishops all vested, all moving in unison toward the altar of Our Lord’s altar of sacrifice, which gave us a glimpse into the heavenly liturgy of the wedding feast of the Lamb described in the Book of Revelation. It was truly heavenly.
What we carried home from this experience which brought all there into a deeper conversion and faithfulness to Jesus Christ can be summarized in three points.
First, we are all continually called to deeper conversion. The Bishops’ message is clear; Eucharist, Eucharist, Eucharist is the primary means to encounter the Risen Jesus Christ and come to know his deep love for each one of us. To be drawn into deeper conversion we must intentionally approach the Lord in every Mass, we must spend time adoring him in the Blessed Sacrament, and we must come to know him more deeply in reading and praying with Holy Scripture.
Secondly, through these practices that must become integral to our lives, we begin to live differently. We come to understand and trust in God’s wisdom and will for us. In so doing we lean on him completely and thank him in all circumstances. To live Jesus is to eliminate unforgiveness, selfishness, anger, jealousy and all other manner of sin in our lives. Many speakers at the Congress emphasized there can be no Eucharistic Revival in our lives without repentance, turning away from those things in our life that impede the flow of God’s grace. A good confession regularly is essential to grow in love of Jesus Our Lord.
Third, the Church is missionary and evangelistic by her very nature. Year three of the Eucharistic Revival is missionary evangelization. Christ came to spread the Good News of his saving power that rescues us from our fallen nature. If we live parts one and two from above, we will not be able to stop spreading the message of love and salvation that Jesus freely offers. Our most compelling witness is living a life of joy and peace. But in today’s culture, words and actions will also be necessary.
To that end the Bishops have asked us to “Walk With One,” a program to help us in this mission. Accompany someone you know who has drifted away from the Church back into full communion with the Body of Christ. This might be a coworker, a family member, a friend or someone that God puts in your path for this purpose. For more information and tools to help you with this, please visit https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/walk-with-one.
We encourage you to watch the speakers at the National Eucharistic Congress on You Tube. All were excellent, but noteworthy speakers include Msgr. James Shea, Father Mike Schmitz, Chris Stefanik, and Bishop Robert Barron.
Jesus lives, he feeds us with his Body and Blood and asks us to live this love of self-donation in our lives and share this love freely.
I want to thank Bishop Frank Dewane for calling together a delegation of representatives from the Diocese of Venice and accompanying us to the National Eucharistic Congress. His generosity is great, his faith sincere and profound, and his love for Jesus is expressed in all he does as our shepherd.”
During the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival, the Diocese of Venice has hosted two Diocesan Eucharistic Congresses which drew more than 6,400 people in the two years. Additional initiatives in the Diocese and at the Parish-level have continued. Parishes throughout the Diocese have organized Catholic speakers, adoration, Eucharistic processions, and other exciting events.
While the National Eucharistic Revival has transitioned to a mission role, with the faithful spreading the word about the Most Holy Eucharist to the whole world, the Diocese of Venice will continue to provide local opportunities to participate in this important Revival. For example, the annual Diocesan Youth Rally is Nov. 16, 2024, at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda, and a Diocesan Eucharistic Congress will be held in March 2025. Other events are being planned and will continue the theme, celebrating the Most Holy Eucharist.
For additional resources on the National Eucharistic Revival, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/eucharistic-congress/year-of-mission/.
