Washington, D.C, April 4, 2022—Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, Chairman of the Board of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc., announces the appointment of Tim Glemkowski as Executive Director. Slated to be held in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024, this milestone event will be an opportunity for Catholics to come together post-pandemic for revival and renewal by encountering Jesus in the Eucharist – the source and summit of the Catholic faith.
Glemkowski is a Millennial with a fresh vision and perspective on the life of the Church and how it can re-engage many from his generation who are uncertain about the Church and its role in modern life.
“Tim is a real leader with a heart on fire for Jesus Christ and a desire to invite people to encounter his love in the Eucharist. He brings a unique blend of skill sets to this important role—from strategic vision and operational excellence to theological insight and a missionary mindset,” says Bishop Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, MN. “He has worked in evangelization and strategy in parishes and in the Archdiocese of Denver. He lives and breathes the call of Pope Francis for a pastoral and missionary conversion of the Church.”
At their November 2021 meeting, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly to move forward with a National Eucharistic Congress in 2024 which will serve as a signature moment in a multi-year national Eucharistic Revival which begins this year. To bring this large-scale event to fruition, the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc. was instituted earlier this year, and a national search was conducted for an executive director to lead the newly established entity.
“God is doing something important in His Church through this multi-year national Eucharistic Revival. At its core, I believe the Congress is a critical moment for how we fulfill Pope Francis’ vision of becoming a more missionary Church,” states Glemkowski. “It is the fire of charity, born in our hearts from the reception of Jesus in the Eucharist, which impels us on mission. This is a phenomenal opportunity for our Church to draw closer to Christ and to be prepared to better share Him with our postmodern world.”
The National Eucharistic Congress is not meant to just be a rally, but a pilgrimage. The event will be a powerful experience that brings Catholics together from all walks of life through a common love for Christ in the Eucharist, and it will culminate in a sending of “Eucharistic missionaries” into parishes and communities across the country. It is intended as a time of healing, encounter, and conversion, as well as the commencement of an even greater evangelistic dynamism in the Catholic Church across the United States.
“The Eucharistic Revival will be three years for the next fifty years of the Church’s mission, and the Congress will be a key moment of communion and public witness,” states Glemkowski. “If we are going to be able to boldly proclaim the difference that a relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church can make, we have to allow our love for the Eucharist to grow and our lives to be changed by God. As the Church is reeling from the various crises and challenges over the past few years, this is an invitation from God to be re-vivified in order to go on mission and show the world and our fellow Catholics a compelling witness. God is telling us here how He wants us to move from maintenance to mission - by being transformed by His Real Presence, first.”
Glemkowski holds a B.A. in philosophy and theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as an M.A. in theology from Augustine Institute. He founded and served as the President of L’Alto Catholic Institute and most recently served as Director of Strategy for the Archdiocese of Denver.
Glemkowski begins his service in this new role on May 1.
To learn more about the vision of the national Eucharistic Revival and the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, find an updated FAQ and a complete press kit at eucharisticrevival.org/press/.
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The mission of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is “to support the ministry of bishops with an emphasis on evangelization, by which the bishops exercise in a communal and collegial manner certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus of sanctifying, teaching, and governing (see Lumen gentium, no. 21).” Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens is the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, MN, and serves as the Chairman for the Board of Directors for the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc.