“Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.’” - Luke 22: 19-20
INDIANAPOLIS – Pilgrims from the Diocese of Gary, at least 500 strong, joined more than 60,000 fellow Catholics on July 20 to celebrate Diocesan Day at the National Eucharistic Congress. The day and evening were full of activities for those who came by bus and car to witness the first NEC in 83 years, including Holy Mass, a profession of faith that led many thousands to process through downtown Indianapolis following the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, 12 hours of opportunities for reconciliation, spirited music praising God, inspiring speeches by Church leaders and a solemn period of Eucharistic Adoration.
“Become the people God wants you to be and you will set the world on fire,” keynoter Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minn. and founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and best-selling author and documentarian, told a packed Lucas Oil Stadium that cheered for Jesus instead of NFL football for five impressive days in July.
“He spoke to a crowd of all ages, and yet his message about how poverty, chastity and obedience are meant for all of us was really meaningful,” said Matt Lenski, a Holy Martyrs Parish member from Merrillville who traveled on a bus with his wife for Saturday’s program. “I’d have to say that was a highlight for me, how well (Bishop Barron) delivered his remarks.”
Having attended the Diocese of Gary’s Commissioning Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert J. McClory on July 15, Lenski followed the bishop’s suggestions to bring a list of prayer intentions (topped by a niece facing surgery) and exhibiting a servant’s heart. “There was a man who spilled a soft drink at the Evening Revival and I brought him a pile of napkins to help clean up,” said Lenski.
Lenski said he tried to remember throughout the day Bishop McClory’s wish that attendees would come to the NEC with an “open heart.”
“I kept thinking of being open to listen, taking the time to really be there (in the moment),” Lenski said. “Even among 50,000 people, I didn’t feel stressed or anxious about security issues. It was calm and I thought, ‘What do you want from me, Lord?’ and now I’m thinking about returning to teaching catechism classes.”
Another Saturday bus rider was Pat Fessler of St. Patrick in Chesterton, whose “awesome” experience had her wishing she'd attended the entire NEC. “I felt like it was a second Pentecost,” she said. “The energy and excitement of the people gave me energy and I didn’t want it to end on Saturday night.
Fessler’s prayer list included a friend who requested prayers for her family and others who have stopped coming to Mass, and she remembered them during the afternoon’s Eucharistic Procession that she joined with her husband.
“It was the highlight for me, watching all of those priests, religious and bishops walking and the people cheering and praising Jesus,” Fessler said of the downtown procession.
As for bringing an “open heart,” Fessler believes “just experiencing the morning Impact Session and its message of discipleship,” was life changing. “When I got home I had to write everything down in my journal, and when I went swimming at the YMCA on Sunday, people there asked me how I’d spent my Saturday. I just had to tell them about the Congress and how wonderful it was.”
Eucharistic Adoration “with 50,000 other people, many on their knees,” was a highlight of the NEC for Noreen Bickel from St. Thomas More in Munster. “This has all been more than I thought it would, just experiencing all the priests and religious sisters with lay people all united in prayer - hungry and searching,” she said. “My hope is that we all get what we need.”
A highlight for fellow St. John the Evangelist parishioners Donna Hudson of Schererville and Cindy Thomas of Crown Point was the Diocesan Day Mass celebrated by Bishop McClory at a downtown hotel just prior to the start of the Eucharistic Procession. “Cindy has the right attitude about this week – just get out there as missionaries,” said Hudson, who hurried to secure front-row seats with her friend.
“This is not a parade, it’s a pilgrimage. This is not a party, it’s a prayer. This is not role playing, but the real thing,” Bishop McClory said at the Diocesan Day Mass. “We will go forth from here, and tomorrow you who are a small percentage of Catholics who are here can say, ‘How can I share Your love for others?’ The Lord loves us.”
Referring to a recent Knights of Columbus Convention he attended, also in Indianapolis, the bishop mentioned an oddly dressed monk he saw running down the street only to realize the man was headed to a Comic Con Convention also in the vicinity.
“He desperately wanted to be in a world that doesn’t exist, a world he wishes was real, while what we were experiencing was as real as real can be – receiving the Lord Jesus in the Real Presence. We have something all the world longs for, a true relationship with God; a reality that exists for all time … that’s why we can have hope in a hopeless world.”
Drew Mariani, an award-winning Relevant Radio broadcaster and writer, was just one of the inspiring speakers at the final Evening Revival that also featured Matt Maher, popular contemporary Christian entertainer, and charismatic actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the TV series “The Chosen.”
“I really believe change is coming,” Mariani said. “It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the bad news out there in the world … but we are in the middle of a Eucharistic Revival. God is seeing it today; the day has come.
“We are planting seeds, but we have to water them with our love … the mission continues.”
Caption: Flanked by transitional deacons Ivan Alatorre (left) and Alex Kouris (second from right), Bishop Robert J. McClory opens a Diocesan Day Mass at the National Eucharistic Congress by reading from the Order of Holy Mass held by seminarian Will O'Donnell. Five busloads of Catholics from the Diocese of Gary joined hundreds of other Northwest Indiana residents already in attendance for a day at the NEC on July 20. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)