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Indianapolis will host the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress—a gathering of Catholics focusing on the Sacrament of Holy Communion, or what some Christian groups call the Lord’s Supper.
More than 40,000 participants from throughout the United States will spend July 17-21 listening to keynote talks, engaging in acts of service and charity, and worshipping God in song as well as receiving Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Just 10% of Indianapolis residents consider themselves Catholic, but the National Eucharistic Congress welcomes all. The significance of this enormous religious gathering will undoubtedly benefit the broader Indianapolis community.
While the Catholic Church has had her share of (in many cases) well-deserved negative publicity, she remains a tremendous force of goodness in our world. Each day throughout the world, the church feeds, clothes, shelters, educates and provides medical care for an immense number of people. And while none of these good deeds makes the misdeeds of Catholics morally acceptable, they do drive home the point that we’re all wounded healers of sorts. We’re a mixed bag—as individuals and collectively. So, it’s OK to feel good about this historic event, the first National Eucharistic Congress in more than 80 years.
From May through July, groups of young adults will participate in a pilgrimage, walking alongside Jesus across portions of the country. Four groups, each beginning at a different edge of the country, will stop at various religious sites over the course of 60 days until they reach the Circle City. And you, too, can participate in a segment of their journey by walking with them or giving through acts of service.
It’s precisely the grace of the Eucharist that drives Catholics to acts of charity, to works of mercy. A cynic once asked the leader of an inner-city Catholic school why she worked so hard to educate kids, “most of whom aren’t even Catholic.”
“We don’t do it because they’re Catholic,” she replied. “We do it because we’re Catholic.”
If you’re an Indianapolis resident, it will be hard to miss this five-day gathering. Events will occur at the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and many churches in the heart of the city. It won’t simply be the summer heat setting us ablaze. The unification of Catholics, people of various faiths and curious locals under the Lord’s presence will ignite hearts and minds.
So you might have issues with one or more doctrinal or moral teachings of the Catholic Church. You might know someone who’s been hurt deeply by a Catholic—maybe even a church leader. Despite these wounds and imperfections, let’s acknowledge the powerful engine of goodness inside the Catholic Church. Let’s celebrate our nation’s religious liberty that allows celebrations like the National Eucharistic Congress to unfold. (Let’s be grateful for the economic boon set in motion by this religious gathering.)
And let’s welcome over 40,000 visitors to our city for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.•
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Ogorek is secretariat for evangelizing catechesis at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
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