INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) - Absolute silence filled Lucas Oil Stadium as tens of thousands of people dropped to their knees to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as the long-anticipated National Eucharistic Congress officially got underway on the evening of July 17 in Indianapolis. More than 100 spotlights trained on a large, golden monstrance on an altar in the center of the stadium as a powerful holy hour - which took place before any talks, music or greeting by the evening's three emcees - began the congress's first revival night filled with prayer, powerful speakers and praise-and-worship music.
Just before Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota -- the driving episcopal force behind the congress - walked onto the floor carrying the monstrance, the 30 perpetual pilgrims who had walked the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes entered the stadium. Carrying icons of each route's respective patron saints -- St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Blessed Virgin Mary -- the pilgrims took the final steps that officially completed their eight-week journey from points north, south, east and west across the U.S. to the July 17-21 congress in Indiana's capital city.
After a time of silent prayer and praise and worship, Bishop Cozzens knelt for a second time in front of the monstrance.
"Lord, we wanted to give you the first words of our National Eucharistic Congress," he said. Kneeling before Jesus in the Eucharist, Bishop Cozzens recounted how the National Eucharistic Revival - launched in 2022 - has led Catholics to gather to study, teach and pray with the Eucharist, spending countless hours in adoration and small groups, and in parish and diocesan initiatives.
"Lord, we made a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for you," he prayed. "For the last 65 days we brought your living presence across this land, across the East, West, North and South. We visited large churches and small churches. We had large processions in cities and small processions in prisons. We visited nursing homes and homeless shelters. Lord, we tried to share with everyone we met along the way your unspeakable love."
He said the pilgrimage prayed for the country and the church and brought those prayers to the congress. He thanked Jesus for the miracles the pilgrims saw along the way: conversion, people return to the faith, physical and spiritual healings.
"We hope to see more," he said.
He told Jesus that the tens of thousands of Catholics in the stadium had gathered there to give him thanks and praise and to be changed into "missionary disciples, people filled with the joy of the Gospel, people so grateful for the salvation you purchased for us."
He prayed for deeper conversion for individuals, peace in wartorn countries, those affected by abuse, and unity in both the country and the church. Bishop Cozzens invited attendees to share in silence their own desires with Jesus, and then asked them to pray that the Lord would also reveal his desires for them.
"Jesus, I trust in you," he prayed, and the stadium resounded as people echoed his prayer.
"Lord, we have come here because we want a revival, a Eucharistic revival, and we want every Catholic to realize that you are alive in the Eucharist, and to encounter your love," he said. "And Lord, we know that this revival, it has to begin with us."
After the holy hour concluded and Bishop Cozzens processed out with the Eucharist, the revival's emcees then took the stage: Father Joshua Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Montse Alvarado, president of EWTN News -- who greeted the attendees in Spanish and English -- and Sister Miriam James Heidland, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The three talked about their own personal experiences with the Eucharist and what the congress meant to them before introducing the other speakers that evening.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S., was the night's keynote speaker. He opened with the reflection that "perhaps our main prayer for this Eucharistic congress should be this: that we as a church may grow in our unity so that we become more fruitful in our mission."
He invited those present to reflect on the basic question of "what is Eucharistic revival?" and "how will we know that we are experiencing Eucharistic revival?"
Revival is "always accompanied by sacramental devotion," he said, but it "must extend beyond devotional practices as well."
"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. This means seeing him everywhere we go."
He reminded those gathered that Christ "is also present in our encounters with people from whom we would otherwise consider ourselves divided" including "people from a different economic class or race, people who challenge our way of thinking."
Living "a truly Eucharistic life," he emphasized, means that adoration "spills over in our daily life, a life of relating to others, our way of seeing others."
He encouraged those gathered to use their time in adoration over the week of the Eucharistic Congress to ask the Lord to reveal the places where they are resistant to surrendering to his will.
"He is the only one who can lead us to new life," he concluded, "by following him, we can become true apostles of his Kingdom."
Sister Bethany Madonna, local superior of the new Phoenix mission of the Sisters of Life, talked about how Jesus, crucified and risen, "wants to reveal himself" and bring his grace because of his love for each person.
"God knows you. God loves you. And chooses you ... He has entrusted you with a mission that he has entrusted to no one else," she said.
She said that Jesus "knows that we are hungry for love, and he chooses to give himself to us as food and drink."
"We have this unquenchable thirst to be loved that no one and nothing can ever satisfy" but God, she explained.
Sister Bethany Madonna reminded people that when fear or failure can prevent them from drawing close to God's love, "Jesus redeems everything."
She shared the testimony of a woman who was terrified to go to confession because of two abortions she had when she was younger. She lived in shame and silence for 29 years, and when she made the appointment for the sacrament of reconciliation and drove to see the priest, she heard a whisper saying, "You don't have to do it," and, "This is too difficult ... turn back."
Praying Hail Marys all the way, she got to confession in tears; and after listening to her, the priest made the motion of picking up a lamb and said, "All of heaven rejoices ... welcome home."
Sister Bethany Madonna said that when the woman received Communion the next day, she said that "my life would be a 'yes' to God."
The opening revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress already had a profound effect on participants who spoke with OSV News.
Belen Munoz, 18, of Rosa Park, New Jersey, said it was "encouraging" to see so many Catholics gathered for the congress.
"Growing up in a secular community, it's a totally different experience," she said. "Getting just a taste of what we're encountering here is amazing, and I can't wait for the rest of the week."
"Tonight just showed me that Jesus is just so alive in the Eucharist and that it's just so obvious that he's working through so many people," said Molly Quinn, 18, from Naperville, Illinois. She added the experience "just made me realize that we're not alone in this world and there are so many people who are searching for Christ like I am."
"I've been having a rough patch in my life and so coming here to this and seeing how God can work through everyone is truly inspiring and powerful and makes me feel revived personally," added 18-year-old Michelle Jurec, also from Naperville. "I can't wait for the rest of the days."
Lotty Cantrelle, 63, a nurse from Lockport, Louisiana, stood and sang to a praise and worship song near the end of the evening. She said her pastor "volun-told" her to come to the congress -- but after experiencing the opening revival session, "I know that my priest knew I needed this," she said.
"A person's heart would have to be made of stone not to be changed by that," she said, noting Sister Bethany Madonna's words about trusting Jesus.
"That gave me a lot of comfort," she said. "I think this is a journey to my healing and to becoming my former self, who used to be more joyful. So I am ready."
Caption: Pilgrims pray during Eucharistic adoration at the opening revival night July 17, 2024, of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)