On June 19, 2023, the Holy Father extended his Apostolic Blessing on the 10th National Eucharistic Congress and the monstrance that will carry Jesus in the Eucharist into Lucas Oil Stadium as the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes converge in Indianapolis on July 16, 2024, the day before the five-day Congress opens next summer. The Mexican-made 4-foot monstrance, similar in construction to one used in a Los Angeles Eucharistic procession recently, is an homage to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the National Eucharistic Revival.
During the audience, Pope Francis welcomed and expressed his gratitude towards the team for their work in promoting “a revival of faith in, and love for, the Holy Eucharist.” He shared further words of encouragement in anticipation of the first National Eucharistic Congress in the U.S. in over eighty years:
“The National Eucharistic Congress marks a significant moment in the life of the Church in the United States.”
The pope affirmed the critical need for an increase of faith among Catholics in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, celebrated at every Mass and also through Eucharistic adoration—a devotion the Holy Father believes has been “lost” and which “we must rediscover.”
“It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord’s great gift of himself and to spend time with him in the celebration of the Holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Concluding his remarks to the Congress team, Pope Francis addressed the evangelistic effect of increased Eucharistic devotion. The fruit of increased love for Our Lord in the Eucharist is sharing that love with those who are poor and suffering, especially the elderly and the sick within our communities.
“We become credible witnesses to the joy and transforming beauty of the Gospel only when we recognize that the love we celebrate in this sacrament cannot be kept to ourselves but demands to be shared with all.”
The Holy Father’s entire address to the Congress team can be found on the Vatican’s website, and the Vatican News article can be found here.
To learn more about the National Eucharistic Congress and purchase your pass, click here.
