The year 2024 was marked by historical milestones for the Catholic Church, such as the International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, the conclusion of the Synod of Synodality and the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope 2025.
Below are some of the most notable events that left their mark on the Church this year:
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The National Eucharistic Congress in the United States
The first National Eucharistic Congress in the United States in almost 50 years was held from July 17 to 21 in Indianapolis, capital of Indiana, with the participation of about 50,000 people. The event began with the solemn entry of the Eucharist into a gold monstrance blessed by Pope Francis and featured renowned speakers such as Bishop Robert Barron, actor Jonathan Roumie, Father Mike Schmitz, and many more.
Before the event, four National Eucharistic Pilgrimages from different parts of the country before the event.
The congress featured multiple moments of Eucharistic adoration, Masses, as well as eye-catching exhibitions, live music and talks. The event concluded with a mass Mass and a call for a “new Pentecost” in the Church in the United States.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens, president of the National Eucharistic Congress, declared months later that the congress “was truly a great miracle” that “profoundly surprised” him, and that the blessings were “so great” that they exceeded all expectations.
The International Eucharistic Congress of Quito
The 53rd International Eucharistic Congress 2024 was undoubtedly one of the most important events of the Catholic Church, having placed the Eucharist as the center of life to “heal the world.”
Held from September 7 to 15 at the Metropolitan Convention Center of Quito, it had the participation of thousands of people and had some iconic moments that will remain in history.
Some of those moments were the First Communion of 1,600 children during the inaugural Mass or the master conference by the Spanish bishop José Ignacio Munilla, who encouraged turning our gaze toward Jesus: “Without Jesus Christ we do not know how to love,” he said.
During the congress, multiple Masses were also celebrated by language and it closed with a massive Eucharistic procession in the streets of Quito.
The historic papal trip to Asia and Oceania
From September 2 to 11, Pope Francis undertook a trip that took him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, this being the longest of his pontificate.
In Indonesia, the country with the most Muslims in the world and a Christian minority, the Pope focused his speeches on interreligious dialogue and peace. With this visit, he became the third Pontiff to travel to this country after Paul VI and John Paul II.
In Papua New Guinea, he visited some ministries that support street children and people with disabilities, and spent time with missionaries and catechists.
Upon arriving in East Timor, a country with a predominantly Catholic population, the Pontiff highlighted having seen the youth of the Church: families, children, young people, many seminarians and aspirants to the consecrated life.
Finally, the Pope made a final stop in Singapore, a Christian minority country that is considered a modern city state and the economic and financial hub of Asia. While passing through the country he was received by authorities, but he also visited a group of elderly and sick people, and participated in an interreligious meeting with young people.
Pope Francis’ visit to Luxembourg and Belgium
This year, Pope Francis made an apostolic trip to Luxembourg and Belgium between September 26 and 29. Although the trip was brief, it was considered very important because it went to the secular peripheries of what some call post-Christian Europe.
During his visit, the Pontiff presided over the commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the Catholic universities of Louvain and New Louvain, which play a key role in promoting Christian values in Europe.
The most important event in Belgium was the final Mass at the King Baldovino stadium, where he beatified the Carmelite Sister Ana de Jesús, spiritual daughter of Saint Teresa of Ávila and friend of Saint John of the Cross.
The announcement of the canonization of Carlo Acutis
In late November, Pope Francis announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized on Sunday, April 27, 2025, during the Adolescent Jubilee in Rome. The eagerly awaited news follows the approval of the miracle attributed to her intercession: the miraculous recovery of Valeria Valverde, a young Costa Rican woman who survived severe head trauma following a bicycle accident.
Carlo Acutis, known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his use of technology to evangelize, will become a reference of holiness for the young people of the world.
Reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened its doors with a solemn ceremony on December 8, following the devastating fire in April 2019 that destroyed much of its structure.
On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Archbishop of Paris, Bishop Laurent Ulrich, presided at the first Mass, consecrating his new altar. The celebration was attended by President Emmanuel Macron, 170 bishops from France and the world, as well as priests from Parisian parishes and Eastern Rite Catholic churches.
The conclusion of the Synod of Synodality
At the end of October, the Synod of Synodality concluded, a process convened in the Catholic Church by Pope Francis and which was developed in stages starting in 2021.
The result of the synodal process, addressed in Rome for two consecutive years, materialized in a final document. The Holy Father ratified it as the Magisterium of the Church, approved its immediate publication and announced that he will not issue a separate post-synodal document. This gesture, unprecedented in history, seeks to recognize the value of the synodal process and offers concrete guidelines for the mission of the Churches throughout the world.
The final document proposes key structural changes, such as the creation of pastoral councils and the revision of canonical norms; greater prominence for women in leadership roles and the study of the female diaconate; and greater responsibility for lay people in discernment and decision-making processes, etc.
To learn more details about the final document, go HERE.
The beginning of a new jubilee year
On Christmas Eve 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope 2025, a unique opportunity for conversion, reconciliation and strengthening of faith.
This Jubilee, which ordinarily occurs every 25 years, will be the second of his pontificate after the extraordinary Jubilee of 2015.
On December 25, faithful from different parts of the world and from different states of life began to cross the Holy Door of Saint Peter. The Pope recalled that “the door to the heart of God is always open.” “Let us return to the heart that loves us and forgives us,” he exhorted.
In addition to this Holy Door, the Holy Father opened another one on December 26 inside the prison of the New Rebibbia Complex in Rome. It will be followed by the opening of the Holy Doors of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
Diego Lopez Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I have worked as a digital journalist. I started my career at the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio. In 2016, I started as an editor at ACI Prensa and I have worked as a web editor since 2018. Starting in 2024, I write the newsletter for social media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.