Indianapolis this week will welcome thousands of Catholics for the National Eucharistic Congress, the culmination of four cross-country pilgrimages by devout Catholics ending in a five-day revival of the sacrament to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium and the convention center.
The National Eucharistic Congress will run July 17-21 and host more than 50,000 Catholics. The gathering will kick off Tuesday at noon when the four caravans meet at St. John the Evangelist Church on Georgia Street for communion.
Here’s what to know about the five-day gathering.
What is the National Eucharistic Congress?
The National Eucharistic Congress is part of a three-year Catholic movement to revive the sacred tradition of the Eucharist and bring Catholics across the country together.
The gathering is the first of its kind in 83 years after United States bishops voted to undergo a revival for the sacrament of communion.
As part of the revival, 50 bishops were deployed to preach across the country about the Eucharist and mass pilgrimages were organized to start from four corners of the country — Minnesota, Connecticut, San Francisco and Brownsville, Texas — with plans to converge in Indianapolis.
The last National Eucharistic Congress was held in 1941 in Minnesota. An international eucharistic congress was held in Philadelphia in 1976, with well-known Catholics like Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and Pope John Paul II in attendance.
On the pilgrimages, participants gather to walk miles, traveling from church to church to share communion together.
During the Eucharist, or communion, Catholics believe bread and wine is converted into the body and blood of Jesus Christ through a blessing known as transubstantiation that calls back to the Last Supper.
How many people will attend?
Around 51,000 people hold passes to the convention, and organizers expect a few hundred more to participate in public processions and community events, said Congress CEO Tim Glemkowski.
Half a million people joined along the four pilgrimages to Indianapolis, but most of them join for a segment then return home, with only a core group of several dozen pilgrims making the complete journey to Indianapolis, Glemkowski said.
Organizers estimate another 1,000 volunteers will be in attendance, mainly from the Indianapolis area.
Why is the congress in Indianapolis?
The Congress chose Indianapolis as the host city due to its central location and ability to host large events in a walkable area, Glemkowski said.
Although Indianapolis is not known as a particularly Catholic city, Glemkowski stressed the significance of several historical churches downtown and the strong leadership of the Archbishop of Indianapolis Charles Thompson, who will attend the conference, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades, the Archbishop of the neighboring Archdiocese of South Bend-Fort Wayne,
“The historical epicenters of Catholicism, you think of Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia… and I think there’s something kind of beautiful that this event is about the Church being a mission and it’s not just in one of these cultural epicenters of Catholicism but still in a place that has rich Catholic tradition,” Glemkowski said. “It’s not one of the obvious candidates but I think it’s very fitting.”
Local Catholic leaders hope the congress will start a religious movement in the city, as part of the larger national revival.
“We’re going to be paying close attention to what inspirations we feel in the months and years ahead to really do what we’ve been doing, but just to try to do it in better and more effective ways,” said Ken Ogorek, executive director of Secretariat for Evangelizing Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Ogorek pointed to a World Youth Day hosted by Pope John Paul II in Denver that resulted in several new ministries in the following years.
Roughly 20% of adults in the United States identify as Catholic, compared to 10% of Indianapolis residents.
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What events are part of the Congress?
An opening ceremony is slated for Wednesday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium. A closing liturgy will be held Sunday, with a performance by The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Perhaps the largest event will be a Saturday procession of the Eucharist, or body of Christ, through downtown Indianapolis.
“We’re talking thousands of people walking in a prayerful procession through the heart of our city, and we also anticipate lots of folks lining the streets to pray and worship as a part of this religious procession,” Ogorek said.
Leading the lineup of speakers is Bishop Robert Barron, one of the most followed Catholics on social media and host of Word on Fire, a digital Catholic media organization. Mass will be held daily in the convention center for pass holders.
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How to go
All-access five-day convention passes for adults cost $360 and can be bought online.
A day pass starts at $49. Several events can be attended for free, such as the Saturday procession starting at 3 p.m. on the streets downtown.
Alysa Guffey covers growth and development for IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected].