(OSV News) - Three days before the National Eucharistic Congress' opening night, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, assured Catholics preparing to attend the congress of the event's safety, following the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally that resulted in the death of one spectator and injuries to others.
The attack occurred the weekend before the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, a five-day gathering of Catholics across the country in Indianapolis that begins July 17.
In a July 14 statement, Bishop Cozzens, chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., offered prayers for Trump and those killed or injured in the July 13 shooting. He also told congress attendees that they can expect a secure event.
"The National Eucharistic Congress has been planning for a safe and secure event for all attendees for the past two years," Bishop Cozzens said. "We have retained a nationally recognized security firm that has worked in close coordination with local, state, and federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies throughout. We will continue to be very attentive to security needs for all.
"The National Eucharistic Congress remains, since its inception, a spiritual movement, aimed at proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist who seeks to bring unity and peace to our Church, our country and our world," he continued. "We feel privileged to gather in prayer at a time with Our Eucharistic Lord when our country and our world need this peace which comes only from him.
"We will pray for healing of all divisions in our land and an end to violence," he said. "Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us."
The National Eucharistic Congress is expected to draw more than 50,000 Catholics to Indianapolis for five days of speakers, worship and cultural events focused on the Eucharist. The congress is the pinnacle of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative launched by the U.S. bishops in 2022 to inspire greater love for and understanding of Jesus' real presence in the Eucharist. It has been preceded by the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, an eight-week pilgrimage, with 30 young adults traveling along four routes to Indianapolis, with plans to converge at a parish in downtown Indianapolis July 16 ahead of the congress.
Congress events are scheduled to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium and the adjacent Indiana Convention Center and nearby parishes.
Caption: Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress, is pictured in a June 10, 2023, photo. On July 14, 2024, Bishop Cozzens assured congress attendees that they can expect a secure event July 17-21 in Indianapolis following the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)