By Laurie Power
During his final remarks at the Closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Andrew Cozzens captured perfectly what I felt as I reflected on my experience of the Congress: “We have lived an experience of heaven.”
How so? Most strikingly, the Congress placed our Eucharistic Lord at the center of every aspect of the event. We began on Wednesday evening with a Holy Hour and concluded on Sunday morning with Mass. Every day hinged on Mass and Adoration. The church across the street became a perpetual Adoration chapel for the duration of the event, and there was a constant stream of adorers seeking to be close to Jesus. Every talk focused on the Eucharist and how we could bring others to know and love the source and summit of our faith. The King of Heaven was unequivocally enthroned at this event.
The Congress was also a giant Catholic family reunion. Each day, I witnessed people finding friends and loved ones they had prayed they would run into or didn’t even realize would be there. I myself ran into a Nashville Dominican sister friend missioned in Australia who I hadn’t seen in seven years. The joy of these reunions was a taste of what it must be like to enter the communion of saints in eternity.
Each person at the Congress seemed to be seeking to follow God’s will. Despite great inconveniences, such as having to wait almost two hours to check in at the start of the Congress or getting stuck in human traffic jams as thousands of people in the convention center tried to move from one breakout session to another, there were no angry outbursts or fights. Pilgrims patiently waited, allowing those in wheelchairs or pushing baby strollers to make their way through first. We were surrounded by saints in the making.
A NEC sign outside Lucas Oil Stadium read: “In Indy as in heaven.” For a few days, we lived this petition, and it wasn’t just the Catholics there who recognized it.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI taught, “The Church does not proselytize. Rather, it grows by attraction.” Many of us at the Congress witnessed this truth firsthand. Before the closing Mass on Sunday, a friend of mine came over to our seats and quickly pulled a rosary and prayer cards out of her bag. As she was rushing away, she explained that she had stopped to talk to one of the stadium security guards, who he told her that he wanted to become Catholic. After listening to the talks, witnessing the beautiful liturgies and experiencing the joy of the pilgrims, he was captivated. I pray that the joyful witness of Catholics in South Jersey, especially those who attended the Congress, will bear this same fruit!
Laurie Power is a consecrated virgin, pastoral associate for lifelong faith formation at Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco, and cohost of the award-winning Talking Saints podcast.
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