INDIANAPOLIS – The Circle City was abuzz with the movement of the Holy Spirit. This was noted by participants of the National Eucharistic Congress and the regular downtown Indianapolis crowd.
For five days, tens of thousands of visitors attended liturgies, processions and presentations, reaching for the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith: the Eucharist. Many lodged in high-rise hotels, dined at downtown restaurants and contributed to the economy by paying for transportation and parking.
Residents of the state capital hope the friendly courtesies, the evangelistic overtures and economic contributions shown by Catholics visiting from Florida to Washington will have a lasting impact.
Noting the kind nature of those entering Lucas Oil Stadium, Kadieja Brooks, a young woman who is not a Catholic, said she wished the “the love, the energy, the vibes” surrounding the faithful, especially the great numbers of religious sisters, would remain in the city.
“It’s a beautiful thing; it’s not an everyday thing,” said Brooks, an employee of an Indianapolis security firm. “We get concerts and U.S. Olympic (competition), but it’s not everyday you get to see and hear from a different religion … you may think they are different, but in a lot of ways they are the same – we all are praying and hoping that someone will hear you out.”
She added that, “Everyone wants everyone to be safe, in a world that needs prayer more than ever.”
The planning to launch a National Eucharistic Revival in thematic years started in 2021 – an endeavor backed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Following parish and diocesan revival activities, the NER coordinated a cross-country National Eucharistic Pilgrimage that brought the Blessed Sacrament through countless communities to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. While the NER team was responsible for planning and Congress details, some creative garnitures of the National Eucharistic Congress were locally inspired and completed by Archdiocese of Indianapolis faithful.
Parked outside Holy Rosary church, just minutes southeast of downtown, a flatbed trailer was being decorated by a crafty group of volunteers.
As a sacramental florist, Caris Roller cut red roses, white carnations and arranged Baby’s Breath flowers. Carmel, Ind. resident Melissa Scarlett secured the leafy decorations near the bunting on the float. “We have had little flower meetings … that’s why they look so good,” Scarlett said, tipping her hat to Roller.
Archdiocesan priest Father Jonathan Meyer, as a member of the USCCB’s Eucharistic Procession sub-committee, invited Indy Catholics to be a part of the procession float design and implementation team. From the start, he kept in mind the goal of “allowing people to be inspired and renewed in their Eucharistic joy.”
“I kept thinking, how would we honor the King of the Universe?” Father Meyer asked. “This is for Jesus, not for us, but for Him!”
Father Patrick Wille, a newly ordained priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Ill. assisted in lifting angelic statues, centering them under the white canopy featuring artwork of the Holy Spirit as a dove. “It’s been a great gift to be here,” he said.
A friend of Father Meyer, Father Wille said he syncs up with the charism of the priest who vested him at his ordination this spring.
“I try to emphasize joy, it’s one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit,” Father Wille said. “’Let the joy of the Lord be your strength,’ we read in Sacred Scripture. And St. Paul says, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always.’”
Father Wille noted that the events of the NEC had offered great opportunities for Catholics like himself to evangelize, “at several opportunities on the streets.”
Fourteen people had a hand in the preparation of the vehicle, which later carried Most Rev. Andrew H. Cozzens, Bishop of Crookston, Minn., and the Eucharistic Lord in a large monstrance.
For Father Meyer, a little bit of service can go a long way toward promoting the spiritual through the physical. “I believe people were moved to worship,” he explained. “The decorations, devotion and detail left people in awe of the Eucharistic glory of the Lord!”
Archdiocese of Indianapolis volunteers covered a gamut of responsibilities including logistical preparations, hospitality duties, and even service at the altar during liturgies, as was the role of local seminarians.
Each of these civic- and faith-minded individuals got to see their hometown light up with the smiling faces and prayerful postures of thousands of visitors from the opening of the congress on July 17 to the concluding Mass and dismissal on July 21, when Indianapolis then hosted the return of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400.
Heading to the home of the Indianapolis Colts on July 17, Maria Portman said that with a little patience, the events of the NEC would go smoothly and be positive memories for all who attend.
“It’s cool and I like it because I work at Lucas Oil (Stadium), so that’s fun,” said Portman. “We get to have (the National Catholic Youth Conference) here every other year. It’s awesome that everyone is coming here – we’re the Crossroads of America here in Indianapolis.”
Between presentations at the Indiana Convention Center on July 19, longtime friends Carol Stephens of St. Lawrence in Indianapolis and Jeannette Lee of Holy Spirit in Geist, Ind. enjoyed a stroll down Georgia Street
“We’re real excited about the graces that are going to flow from this. The knowledge that we’ve gotten and the different blessings are really going to help the city of Indianapolis,” said Stephens.
“It’s exciting to see all the clergy here – you never see that many at one time,” said Lee, as Stephens chimed in, “Unless you’re in Rome.”
Caption: Archdiocese of Indianapolis priest Father Jonathan Meyer, a member of the USCCB’s Eucharistic Procession sub-committee, decorates the altar upon which the processional monstrance will be set, in a float parked at Holy Rosary church on July 20. With the help of archdiocesan volunteers, Father Meyer and the crew completed the project that morning for the grand Eucharistic procession where thousands of Catholics walked in downtown Indianapolis to the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza for a benediction and praise service. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)