National Eucharistic Congress calls for a new Pentecost in the Catholic Church in the US

The National Eucharistic Congress concluded on Sunday, July 21, with a Mass attended by tens of thousands of people in an NFL football stadium, where the crowd prayed for “a new Pentecost” of the Church in the United States.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the closing Mass at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, as Pope Francis’ special envoy for the event. The Filipino cardinal shared that the Holy Father told him that he wants the congress to lead to “conversion to the Eucharist.”

“The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a gift and the fulfillment of his mission,” said the also pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Vatican.

“Those who choose to stay with Jesus will be sent by Jesus,” he added. “Let us proclaim Jesus with zeal and joy for the life of the world.”

On Sunday morning, the nearly 60,000 Eucharistic Congress attendees were encouraged during a “great send-off,” in which keynote speakers urged participants to proclaim the Gospel in every corner of the United States.

“What the Church needs is a new Pentecost,” Mother Adela Galindo, founder of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, told the crowd.

“The Church must be faithful to the Gospel… not dilute the message of the Gospel,” said the Nicaraguan nun. “We were born for these times. “It is time to go out quickly to a world that urgently needs to hear the word of God and the truth of him,” she added.

The little nun also said that it is necessary to proclaim that “no darkness is greater than the light of the Eucharist. “That no sin is greater than the merciful heart of the Eucharist.”

“Basically, brothers and sisters, love is greater than death!” exclaimed the nun, who received an enthusiastic ovation from the thousands of attendees.

More than 1,600 priests, seminarians, bishops and cardinals began Mass at the Indianapolis Colts stadium, with a spectacular initial procession that lasted 25 minutes. And according to the organizers, another 1,236 religious men and women prayed in the stands of the stadium.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played classic hymns Bread of Angels y Ave verum corpus while Communion was distributed to the tens of thousands of people present in the stadium.

Many have commented on the incredible energy, positive atmosphere and hope among those attending Indianapolis, who traveled from all 50 states to participate in the July 17-21 event.

“I don’t want to sound dramatic, but the National Eucharistic Congress has been something of a triumph: crowded, crazy and at times chaotic. “Peace and joy reign,” Stephen White, executive director of the Catholic Project.

“His presence is palpable and omnipresent. The Lord is here,” White added.

Father Aquinas Guilbeau, OP predicted that the legacy of the National Eucharistic Congress will be for the US Church like that of World Youth Day held in Denver in 1993, during the pontificate of Saint John Paul II.

“His grace will mark the Church for the next 50 years,” said Guilbeau.

Organizers noted that about 60,000 tickets were sold at this National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, including one-day passes that were issued after the event began.

Cardinal Tagle: The Pope prays that the congress bears much fruit

Cardinal Tagle began his homily by greeting the crowd in several languages ​​such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, French and Italian.

“The Holy Father prays, like all of us, that the congress bears fruit, a lot of fruit, for the renewal of the Church and society in the United States of America,” Tagle said.

The cardinal also noted that “where missionary zeal is lacking or weakened, it may be due in part to a weakening in the appreciation of gifts and talents.”

“If our horizon is only that of achievement, success and benefit, there is no place to see and receive free gifts. There is no room for gratitude and surrender,” she added. “There will only be an incessant search for self-affirmation that, over time, becomes oppressive and tiring, and leads to more self-absorption or individualism.”

Cardinal Tagle also stressed that the Eucharist is “a privileged moment to experience the mission of Jesus as a gift of himself.”

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Andrew Cozzens announced, to applause, that the bishops of the United States plan to hold another National Eucharistic Congress in 2033, the Year of Redemption, commemorating the 2,000th anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Bishop of Crookston, who led the Eucharistic Revival, further announced that another Eucharistic pilgrimage will take place in 2025 from Indianapolis to Los Angeles.

“What to say at the end of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress? My experience, and I hope yours too, is that we have had an experience of heaven. Of course, the Eucharist is a foretaste of heaven.”

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA