The pilgrims from the Diocese of Gaylord are sharing their reflections from the National Eucharistic Congress 2024. More reflections are being added every day. Come back and read more.
Bishop Jeffrey Walsh
I can summarize my experience in one word – fed. I have come away from the National Eucharistic Congress feeling truly fed with the bread of life. Having been fed, I have what it takes to respond to God’s call. The baptismal call to holiness is always reinforced by the Eucharist and gives us both strength and confidence to forge ahead. A good meal makes a good disciple for our Lord.
If I were to highlight one thing from the Congress, it would be the sense of encouragement it seems to have imbued into the life of the Church in America. It was a moment to shine and shine it did. The Congress was a moment in the midst of a movement of Eucharistic Revival that affirmed everything that is beautiful, good and true about Christ’s bride, the Church. There is a saying, “encouragement is to the soul, what oxygen is to the lungs”. This time of Eucharistic Revival is a genuine encouragement.
If I were to highlight one image from the Congress, it would be the one so many people have said produced the most profound effect. The image is of Jesus present in the monstrance on the altar in the center of Lucas Oil Arena surrounded by adorers of his majesty. Tens of thousands of people, in silence, in communion, with God and each other, prayerfully grasping the closeness and intimacy we have with the King of Kings. The spotlights are on him, not on us. As long as we keep our attention on him, at the center of our daily lives, this miracle of God’s love, the Most Holy Eucharist, will one day bring us to the heavenly banquet.
Cameron Diachun
Leading up the National Eucharistic Congress, I was so focused on organizing the trip for our pilgrims that I forgot to pause and reflect on what I was hoping to get out of it. I was expecting the Congress speakers to emphasize the theological principles of the Real Presence but instead they emphasized what to do about it, that is the missionary response inherent to the Eucharist. On the first night, Sr. Bethany Madonna told a story of when she was doubting her mission and a priest asked her, “Is Jesus asleep in your boat, Sister?” Through tears, she said yes and he replied, “Well, then get him a pillow!” I took this to heart as I have Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” hanging in my home as a constant reminder to seek interior freedom knowing God’s ‘got this.”
What proceeded was five days of God seemingly hitting my pride upside the head with a 2x4 (with no pillow left to soften the blow!). I was reminded as a lay minister, we must first fill our reservoir with God’s love before sharing its overabundance with others. Still, in a particularly poignant speech, Fr. Mike Schmitz reminded me that it is not enough to know about Jesus, you must respond with love for Jesus. Bishop Barron summed it up well: Your Christianity is not for you. The Eucharist is not a private possession. Rather, it conforms us to Christ as bearers of the light to the nations. Be fed so that you can feed others.
Mary Hinkle
Attending the NEC was an experience I will never forget. Praising and worshipping our Lord with 60,000 Catholics, ranging in age from approximately 2 weeks old, to some who are well into the golden years, was incredible! The Breakout Sessions were so informative and thought provoking. It was obvious that God was present in everyone there. People were joyous, kind, and loving toward one another. There was no division, only unity, LOVE was present! Miracles occurred, and hearts were changed. The word “gift” was often stated and stuck with me. Jesus gave himself to us in the Eucharist as a gift! Every person is a gift, no matter gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation! We are all sons and daughters of the Almighty, and He loves us, where we are, even in our brokenness. The gift of love cannot be given to others until we receive it ourselves. Most of us live for Christ, but the real key is to live from Christ. Allow His love to enter in, so that it can be gifted to others. Humans are wired to be in relationships with God and with each other. My prayer is that we may all one day be able to see each other as God sees us. What a wonderful world it would be - Heaven on Earth!
Mary Burns
I didn’t go to the Congress to be convinced of Jesus Real Presence in the Eucharist. I went because I know it is and my Faith gave me the desire to profess it publicly with thousands of other like-minded people.
The words of the Nicene Creed came alive in a big way, especially “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church." I felt the unity of our Church resonate for that period of time, and appreciation for being able to attend as I know not all who wanted to could make the trip. The number of bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and nuns/sisters along with the laity was especially beautiful at each Mass, Adoration and during the Eucharistic Procession.
Talented musicians and singers added to the spiritual expression of the Masses, encouraging all of us join in praise and worship.
Taking the time for confession was another focus and it was not hard to go because so many priests/bishops made themselves available to hear us.
We were reminded to “go” and share our Faith because as we know it is meant to be shared. Also, the reminder that how we share it is important too if we want people to listen or see Jesus in us.
Inspiring is the word for the speakers I listened too, sharing their experience and passion for our Faith is a gift that they gave us during the sessions.
I also wondered, why did it take so long to have this? Shouldn’t we be gathering outside our parishes more often to show that our Catholic Faith is alive in many? I don’t know the answer exactly on the frequency except that I do know that those in attendance like me were enthusiastic and grateful that this Eucharistic Revival happened.
Barb Peterson
There were 3 things that really hit home. One was to have the courage to speak out. I know: don’t be afraid to speak poorly, God will help you with your words. Second was the scriptural passage that Jonathon Roomey read about when Jesus told his disciples that his body and blood was the true bread and drink from heaven. And Peter replied that where would we go Lord, we believe that you are the true Messiah. And the last was from someone (not sure where I heard it, but it stuck with me) I’ll see you in the Eucharist.
Lonnie Collins
The Eucharistic Congress blew away any preconceived notations I had. The huge crowds, the joy and enthusiasm were contagious. Before engaging in the Congress, we went to confession to prepare ourselves for what was to come. We had no idea how Holy, how personal and yet how MASSIVE the event would be. From the opening session to the last Mass on Sunday morning - the Holy Spirit was moving amongst His faithful. The universal nature of our Catholic faith was evident; every race seemed to be present. The theme of repentance and joy was impactful.
The two things that remain in my heart was Eucharistic adoration with over 50,000 people and watching the body of Christ being processed through the heart of Indianapolis. I posted a video of the procession on FaceBook, it has now been viewed over 1 million times. Many are hungry for what we are blessed to have.
Michelle Coyne
The whole experience of the NEC was overwhelming in the most beautiful ways! Let’s start with nearly 60,000 Catholics in complete silence adoring our Lord in Eucharistic adoration, the praise and worship music with thousands standing, eyes closed, tears streaming down their faces, hands raised in total self-giving to our Lord. Mass with 50,000+ receiving our Lord in the Eucharistic under one roof, and of course the Eucharistic procession in the streets of Indianapolis. These are common highlights I dare say stand out to most attendees, these things were awesome and awe inspiring to participate in.
Beyond that, we each had our own highlights where God spoke to us personally and deeply. I found two common themes attending the Congress. First, the power of Jesus in the Eucharist. Sister Olga shared during her talk about placing the pyx with Jesus inside a neonatal incubator of a baby born at just over 1 pound and the miracle of the baby continuing to grow and thrive today! Second, the unity of the church witnessed by clergy and laity all in one place, young and old, and the beautiful hope of families with small children in attendance. The laity was being fed by our shepherds through this event and the clergy and religious were being fed by the laity with our faithful presence and participation in the conference.
Chris Coyne
I am always looking for opportunities to bring people closer to God through the Eucharist. Now, I have more knowledge, more drive and more ammunition than I ever had before. John Chapter 6 clearly explains how important receiving the body and blood of Jesus is to our salvation.
We must remember that going to church on Sunday and receiving Jesus is not all that is expected of us. God requires us to love our neighbors, and the best thing we can do for someone who doesn’t understand about the Eucharist is to inform them or at least plant the seed of knowledge. We can be the salesmen for God. I don’t know about you, but I find it very easy to sell something if I am confident that it’s the best. No other Christian religion has a deeper understanding of the Word of God and the life of Jesus. The tradition and the sacraments make Catholicism the best way to feed our body and soul.
I also was made aware that the first thing Jesus did when he rose from the dead was go find His lost sheep, Cleophus. This reminds us that we also need to go after those fallen away Catholics who, for whatever reason, decided to live without Jesus. We must remind them that denying the Eucharist is denying Jesus.
Jean Rooyakker
Where to begin?? The five days at the National Eucharistic Congress were so beyond what I ever imagined. I went hoping to come back saying yes to being a missionary, and by the final day I was able to say with conviction that I would be a missionary for the Lord.
The sheer volume of Catholics who were in love with the Eucharistic Jesus and hungry to grow in their commitment was overwhelming. There was a unity, joy and gift of giving from all the pilgrims. We all came together for one reason to: honor, bless and praise Jesus in the Eucharist.
Adoration ended each evening session, and in a stadium filled with more than 50,000 people, there was total silence and reverence!
Confession lines often were long going into a room which held 50 priests and bishops. Redemption, restoration, joy, hope, peace and true revival were felt by all of us. God blessed us in so many ways, including miracles.
God is working, the Holy Spirit is alive, Jesus is our healer. Jesus is a gift to us in the Eucharist, and we are a gift to others as we take Him into ourselves and then to others in our walks of life each day.
Where to begin?? The five days at the National Eucharistic Congress were so beyond what I ever imagined. I went hoping to come back saying yes to being a missionary, and by the final day I was able to say with conviction that I would be a missionary for the Lord.
Catherine Taylor
The homily of Cardinal Luis Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples at the Vatican, has truly resonated with me. The GIFT of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist and His love for us will be our gift to people. That we are to GO and to share Jesus’ tender love with the poor, the homeless, the weary, the hungry, the suffering, the confused and weak. We are called to share the gift of forgiveness and peace with those who are divided.
I pray to be that GIFT of Jesus as I journey back to Arusha, Tanzania Africa August/September 2024. As I am assisting young orphans, school age children, elderly and impoverished families, let me GO and be the eyes, ears, hands and feet of Jesus and have a heart to tenderly love like Him.
As Cardinal Tagle explained, Mission is not just about work but also about the gift of oneself. May we all GO to proclaim Jesus with joyful hearts and with a burning desire to do His will for the life of everyone throughout the world.
Marlene McGiness
The highlights of this incredible event for me were the Masses, Adoration, and the Eucharistic Procession. Sharing these moments with 60,000 fellow Catholics was amazing.
What all of these had in common were the reality that none of them could have happened without our priests. The priests were given the commission by Jesus to "Do this in memory of me." "This" being the offering of His Body and Blood-the Eucharist.
This only shows how imperative that it is that we pray for our priests. Consider offering a Holy Hour, praying the rosary for our priests, affirming our priests as they minister to us, fasting, thanking them for all they do for us in all the Sacraments of the Church that can only be given through the ministry of the priests.
I am so grateful for the incredible number of bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and seminarians that were present. Pray for all of them, and for the many others who could not be present due to a limited number of priests available for replacement ministry. Pray also for vocations.
Deacon Curtis Chambers
I was so honored to be allowed to vest at all the morning Masses, and we had such great celebrants. I don’t think I could pick a favorite. Processing in and out each morning was an incredible experience to say the least.
And that should have helped to prepare us for the main procession on Saturday afternoon, but Wow again. The thousands of us who were processing were greeted by tens of thousands lining the streets. The singing, the prayers, and the cheering brought tears to my eyes for most of the route. It seemed every time we turned a corner we would be greeted with more and more love.
The hospitality and the respect that was extended to the deacons, time and time again brought me to my knees in prayer and thanksgiving. The breakout sessions were each special and again the speakers were incredible.
Each of these experiences is more than enough to make me want to do this again. However, I want to share an experience that I saw not only once, not only twice, but three times, that I personally observed.
A single mother with three young children, sometimes it was two children, and I don’t know if the women were actually single or just not with their husbands. At any rate I saw them, women and children holding hands and praying with a homeless person. Once they were singing while holding hands around this person. What a beautiful act of love….
Michelyn Brown
The NEC was so affirming that Jesus is truly alive in the Eucharist! Spending those five days with nearly 60,000 like-minded individuals was amazing - when adoration began each night, you could hear a pin drop in Lucas Oil stadium. We were attending a live recording of the podcast Gods plaining and Jesus was being processed in the hall outside. Everyone in the room stopped, went silent and knelt towards the open door as the bells rang announcing His Presence. The amount of reverence shown Christ in the Real Presence only reinforced how we need to lead by example, to show those back in our home parishes what we've forgotten or just become complacent towards - that Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity, and our Church is more alive and growing than ever! Seeing all the young priests, seminarians and sisters gave me so much hope! We met so many exceedingly kind people, who shared holy cards, the miraculous medal, and a blessed scapular, as well as just friendly smiles or a kind word. We even met Father Rocky on our way to The Family Rosary Across America with Relevant Radio one morning! They announced that the next Congress will be in 2033 - I hope that we have even more people attend with us then!
Cathy Hilbrecht
I was in awe almost all of the National Eucharistic Congress! The reverence during Mass and adoration was inspiring. The Eucharistic processionals were 20-30 minutes long, and it was so cool to see thousands of deacons, priests, bishops and altar servers process. The Mass prayers and hymns were thunderous and beautiful with the nearly 60,000 worshipers. The music was infectious, and heart pounding. I had many tears listening to those Christian music performances. My favorite session was with Mary Healy and Fr. Thelen’s healing presentation. It was heartfelt, and I felt my heart lighten, and I had tears of relief. Sr. Miriam James Heidland spoke of repentance that opens our hearts to receive the love of Jesus through reception of the Eucharist. I had a wonderful confessor that conveyed Jesus’s forgiveness so beautifully. Monsignor James Shea, spoke powerfully about why we are hungry and need to be fed by Jesus in the Eucharist. His final thought was “I have found that food." I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit inspired me to attend the Congress. My words just do not convey the energy, excitement, reverence, joy and forgiveness that I felt.
Jen Geiger
Witness 1
As I walked to Lucas Oil Stadium, I was reminded of walking into Joe Louis Arena to see the Red Wings play. There’s something special about walking into an arena for a concert or sporting event: the anticipation, the energy, the excitement of soon seeing your favorite team, or player, or band. All of this was present as I walked. But I wasn’t heading to see some idol. I, along with thousands of others, was on my way to see Jesus.
Once in the arena, as the pilgrims from the four procession routes walked out through the tunnel reserved for NFL football players you could feel the excitement grow even more. Then there it was, the first glimpse of gold from the monstrance. And there He was - Jesus! My Lord and Savior present in the biggest monstrance I have ever seen. Light radiated in every direction, and I thought the words I would hear many more times during the Congress, “Jesus is here.”
Witness 2
Bells ring. “Jesus is coming!” We search. We see. We kneel in reverence.
Twice while walking through the Indiana Center during my time at NEC, I encountered seminarians walking with Jesus. I am not sure where they were heading to or returning from, but in both moments I could feel the awe and reverence of those around me. And I saw the smiles on faces afterwards - Jesus had just walked amongst us.
Witness 3
Saturday, the last full day of NEC, was filled with big names and big moments, but these paled in comparison with the encounters I had with Christ that day. My day began with morning prayer at St. John Church, where Perpetual Adoration took place during the Congress. This was followed by receiving Christ in the Eucharist at Mass. Later in the day, I was able to walk with Jesus in the Eucharistic Procession, and the evening ended with adoring our Lord in a stadium full of nearly 60,000 people. I think it was a tiny glimpse into what heaven will be like.
Witness 4
Cardinal Talge’s message in the final homily of NEC reminded us of the gift we receive of Christ in the Eucharist must be shared with all those we meet. I witnessed many moments of Christ’s love and mercy being shared throughout the week with the homeless, the injured, the sorrowful, the lost and the weak.
I also experienced this gift myself. After a breakout session, I found myself trapped in a human traffic jam and felt the panic was rising within me. I looked up for an escape and a priest was directly in front of me. I impulsively grabbed his backpack, saying, “Father, I’m holding onto your bag.” He simply said, “Okay,” asked my name and told me his. He guided me through the crowd for about 5 steps, and told me he had to go another direction, but that he was praying for me and that I had this.
Later, I saw him and raced to thank him. This huge moment of him being Jesus for me was barely memorable to him. As I reflect on Cardinal Talge’s words about giving to others, and my experience, I am reminded that we don’t need grand gestures to share Jesus, it can be the small simple things we do with grace and love that make the biggest difference.
Therese O'Brien
I’m so grateful to God and to our Diocese that made it possible for me to attend the Congress because I am changed - no longer the same person. Each speaker gave me food for thought and a greater love of Jesus and our Catholic faith.
Sister Miriam James spoke about the pain we all experience in life – our own Sorrowful Mysteries. Addiction of any kind is a trauma response to our Sorrowful Mysteries. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament wants to console and heal our broken hearts, and even our broken bodies. We must come to Jesus and repent of our sins. When we acknowledge our helplessness in humility, we open the door to allow healing to begin. It starts with us and our repentance and forgiving others.
The most powerful moment for me was Dr. Mary Healy and Fr. Matthias Thelen speaking on forgiveness and healing. They took us through the steps of healing, which begins with forgiving anyone who might have caused hurt in our hearts. Next they encouraged us to “pray big” and ask God to heal anything causing pain. I broke my tailbone 22 years ago, and it was causing me much suffering due to the long bus ride and hard plastic chairs in the stadium. In hopeful anticipation, I asked God to heal my tailbone. In a flash, electricity went through me head to toes, and my pain was gone! I have not had any more pain since that moment. I was healed!
Dr. Healy said: “healed people, heal people,” and she encouraged us to share what God had given us with others. This is my calling. I want to share my story with others and pray with them, asking Jesus, present in the Eucharist, to heal them, just as He healed those whom He touched in the Bible and healed me. My friends, this is REAL! Jesus in the Eucharist is REAL! He loves you and He wants to heal all your pain and sorrow.
Sue Wiley
When I learned of the National Eucharistic Congress. I just knew I had to seek out what it was all about. At first, I was apprehensive, however the deeper I looked into it I began to pray and discern. I spoke with my pastor, and he confirmed it would be a wonderful opportunity. Still feeling unworthy father reassured me to go and be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. I felt in my heart that Jesus was calling me to this event and so I began to prepare.
I arrived in Indianapolis with many different expectations, all these expectations were exceeded exponentially. The first two days were like a taste of heaven with powerful songs of the angels in adoration. Super inspiring, super emotional (with many tears of joy) filled with faith, hope, joy and love. The divine praises came alive, blessed be God forever!
Beautiful moments every morning, beginning with Rosary Across America, morning liturgy with hundreds of altar servers, deacons, priests, cardinals, bishops and nearly 60,000 pilgrims from all over the world. To witness hundreds of priests carrying the Eucharist to 60,000 people all the way to the top of the stadium was astounding. What a powerful name it is “Jesus."
The most powerful moment for me was during our morning Impact Session with Father Mathias and Dr. Mary Healy. As they led us through steps of healing, we began with forgiveness. So many times, I have tried to surrender to the Lord and so many times I’ve taken it back from him to fix it myself. This time, I totally surrendered everything to the Lord. I prayed to the Lord, your will be done Lord, not mine. I totally listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and laid everything down at the foot of the cross, I forgave.
Next, we were encouraged to “pray big," to ask God to heal us from anything causing us pain. When Dr. Healy called out “left eye,” I immediately began praying for whoever needed that healing. At that moment with my eyes closed and the palms of my hand open, I felt a powerful surge of energy that began in my feet and proceeded to my forehead. It was very powerful but peaceful. I continued praying for whoever needed that healing for their left eye. I also thanked God for saving sight in my right eye because last Christmas Eve I had a vein spill blood onto my optic nerve which resulted in loss of sight to my left eye. When I opened my eyes at the conclusion of the service, I was in total shock because the vision in my left eye had been healed.
Thanksgiving and praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, a taste of heaven embraced my heart. As I write this testimony I am still in wonder and awe and want to convey my deepest thankfulness for the Congress, the speakers, the musicians, the moderators for the most amazing experience in my life! It was also a pleasure and a gift to walk with the nearly 60,000 pilgrims at the Congress. YES, Jesus is truly alive and present in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul and divinity.
He loves us and truly wants to heal all our pain. Go to adoration and confession. These are acts of forgiveness known only to Jesus and you -- this is the mystery of his mercy which embraces each of our souls separately. As St. Faustina says, although our worship is so little and poor, we can be at peace because we know that it is sincere, however inadequate.
Linda Kruse
This was an amazing experience for me for a number of reasons, but what stands out most to me is the people. So many people together worshipping our Lord! This was affirming to me. Everyone was so kind, willing to help, talk, or just smile. People showed their faith in action throughout the days of the revival too. Sisters knelt down to talk to the homeless, priests in confession for hours, so many people in adoration throughout the day, and families with their children making the effort to be part of this experience. Praying together in Mass and adoration strengthen my faith. It felt like this was the only thing of importance and everything else would take care of itself. The presence of Jesus was felt in worshipping, the procession and during the sessions as well.
Another thing that touched my heart was the exhibit of the Shroud of Turin. It was a reminder of how much Jesus suffered for me on the cross. The crown of thorns was shocking to me, so cruel and such a horrible way of torture. Our Lord willingly suffered to take away all our sins. It was a very personal experience that touched my heart.
It was difficult to contain and understand all the feelings that I had during the Revival but so affirming in my faith and love of the Lord. I am so thankful for this experience!
See you in the Eucharist!
James Kanine
We were several weeks away from the season of Lent, and I was thinking about what I wanted to do this Lent. I was praying about what I might do, and I decided I would try to imitate our Blessed Mother by saying, “Yes!” to something. I didn't know what that
“something” was yet. I found out pretty quickly. Patty Furtaw, Director of Parish Life for Boyne Valley Catholic Community (BVCC) emailed me and asked if I would be on a committee. This committee would be planning what BVCC would be doing for Year 2 in our Eucharistic Revival.
For me, this was a perfect opportunity to say, “Yes!” So, I happily agreed to be on the committee. We met a few times, and held small group study/discussion on the Eucharist. At one of the meetings, Patty asked me if I would be willing to have my name put in for a diocesan drawing for an all-expense trip to the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21. It afforded me yet another opportunity to imitate our Blessed Mother, so I just said, “Yes!” At the time I wasn't too worried because it was a drawing, and the possibility was slim that I would be chosen. So, when the diocese contacted me, an informed me, to tell me that I was one of the blessed parishioners to get a scholarship to the NEC, I was surprised and elated. We were months away from the Congress, so I wasn't worried yet!
About a week before we were scheduled to leave for Indianapolis, I did start to worry! My thoughts were that this was big, really big! I believed that God had a special plan for the US and the world. I knew in my heart this would not be something I had ever experienced, and I was nervous. I was praying in my preparation, but I couldn't imagine what God might do. I just knew unequivocally that He was going to do something great, something holy, something that would benefit all of us and bring us closer to Him in the real presence of the Eucharist!
I was certainly right about two things—He did do something great for all of His people, and I couldn't have imagined what it would be like. Truly, I was “unprepared” for God's power to transform our hearts. I guessed that some people, hopefully myself included, would be moved by the Holy Spirit, but I wasn't prepared to what I witnessed from the 60,000 some people who attended. At first, I thought the United States was there, and the US was there, but also the world. Every age -- newborn infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged, upper middle-aged, old, older and even older people -- were present. No age group was left out of the conference. The families in attendance were noteworthy and uplifting. The young people and their exuberance for Jesus was incredible witness and filled all of us up with hope!
What kinds of people were in attendance at the NEC? Every kind! The world was present, and all God's people were invited to be close to Him. No one was excluded. If one could imagine a person, that person was there to praise Jesus. No one was excluded! All were welcome!
Ami Peterson
The Saturday before the National Eucharistic Congress was a challenging one for me. I received word that my brother, while on vacation in the Upper Peninsula, was taken to the hospital and would be transferred to Marquette. They thought it was his heart. I turned to prayer as that was all I had available. I didn’t know anything else. I had to practice patience for several hours and overnight for an update. He had experienced a ‘flatline rhythm.' He was going to stay overnight in Marquette. So many questions that hadn’t been answered. With no voice conversation with my parents, only sketchy text messages, I left for the Congress. I was finally able to talk with my parents during the Congress.
Over the course of the Congress, I brought his health and his family to prayer in adoration. I had also laid the stressful concerns I had at his feet. At the conclusion of adoration on Saturday evening I felt a noticeable relief of my stress and I felt comfortable knowing that my brother and his family were going to be taken care of.
My two takeaways from the National Eucharistic Congress are prayer and community. I have been very reluctant to attend Adoration. I have always found excuses to not go. I will now try to attend weekly, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I have always tried to surround myself with persons who will lift me up in prayer. I truly believe this to be so important every day, not just in times of need.
Betty Hamilton
Experiencing the diocesan pilgrimage to Indianapolis was a pure blessing in my life. It left an immensely profound impression on me which will likely remain for the rest of my life. Adoration with 40,000-60,000 clergy and lay faithful induced a silence and reverence in Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium where you could hear a pin drop. What respect and awe!
There were so many beautiful experiences that week. I was able to converse with sisters from St. Mother Theresa's Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of Life, just to name a few remarkable connections. My love of music played a key role in the sheer enjoyment of the daily gatherings for Mass. During the last Mass, a personal favorite of mine, Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus was sung by a choir with an orchestra (complete with strings) during my section's Holy Communion, the most memorable time. And having listened to more than 700 podcasts with Father Mike Schmitz, his presence meant a great deal to me. The Chosen, a series about the life of Jesus, is also a favorite of mine, and who else but the "TV Jesus" would greet us? Yes, Jonathan Roumie spoke with all the gifts and talents of a top professional demonstrated right in front of us.
This historic gathering moved me with hurricane force. As I continue my services as a member of St. Mary Cathedral Parish, I hope my strength, grounding and peace will be in closer alignment to the will of God.
Donna Froemming
I have breathed rarefied air for five days. My heart is full to overflowing, and it is hard to leave. As I ponder the months ahead… to November, I fear my heart will be ripped open. No matter who wins, I anticipate ugliness, riots, and worse. I know that the division in our country is also in our Church. These five days have reminded me that, though divided, we are united under one King.
I suspect that come November, the Catholic Church may be the ONLY entity equipped in our country to move forward, united though divided. It is not new to us.
God did not declare human beings His enemy, and neither should I.
If my worst fears are realized in November, I pray a priest or bishop will lead us in a Eucharistic Procession amidst the rubble, all of us pilgrims walking together, neither gloating nor resenting, but moving forward, united (though still divided) under our one King, Jesus Christ, and the Blessed Sacrament He has given us.
