Days 4 & 5, Final thoughts
St. Francis of Assisi has “boots on the ground” at the 2024 Eucharistic Congress. Parishioner Dennis Graham will be sharing his insights from this "once in a generation" event!
Sat and Sun, Days 4&5. Angela and I, Sandie and Kathy and Stephany are home from the EC now. The last two days were filled with Masses, Adoration, a procession of many tens of thousands of faithful following Jesus in the streets of Indianapolis, and thoughtful presentations by familiar Catholic media celebs (Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bishop Barron, Chris Stefanick) and others less familiar (to me). The beautiful thing is that everyone can now attend the EC, if not physically: just go to the “National Eucharistic Congress 2024” channel on Youtube to access all of the Masses, speakers, music, and sessions. Angela and I are already revisiting many of the talks that we heard live and enjoying those we missed. We both recommend Monsignor James Shea’s and Sister Josephine Garrett’s talks. Jonathan Roumie’s recitation of the John 6 Bread of Life discourse using his “Jesus voice” was touching, I thought, especially for us Chosen fans.
With as many as 60,000 pilgrims receiving communion in the stadium at each Mass and jamming the hallways at the overwhelmed convention center, at times chaos reigned. What to do? As Angela commented, “Let loose the Sisters!” They appeared the 2nd day in droves, newly assigned, organizing the communion lines, directing traffic in the convention center, and in general bringing order out of confusion with a light but firm touch. While trekking to the stadium from our BnB one morning and in between two rows of 5 nuns, the sister we were talking to announced to the group, “Oh look. We’ve made a Colorado sandwich!” They were delightful.
The Saturday morning Mass in the stadium was in the Eastern Rite Liturgy of Syro-Malabar Qurbana in the Syriac tradition. Qurbana, I learned, means “offering.” Though mostly in English, there were passages and responses throughout the Mass in Syriac, which is a dialect of Aramaic, which the presiding Archbishop explained was Christ’s own tongue. The Mass parts and prayers were at the same time strange and familiar, and the music with its biting semi-tones and distant rhythms was hauntingly beautiful.
Ever the Thomas, I was hesitant to attend the Eucharistic Congress, I confess, and felt the same skepticism I felt towards World Youth Day in 1993. Inside, I doubted that the effort, physical discomfort and expense would be compensated by the graces received. But I was wrong, again, as always. Both events can only be described as “transformative.” God’s powerful love and grace and mercy inevitably prevail, and we can only acknowledge it and be grateful, as Thomas was.
