Local Catholics reflect on Eucharistic Congress as final revival night energizes thousands

Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont, Texas, carries the monstrance during Eucharistic adoration July 20, 2024, during the revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) —  From the first moments of the final nighttime revival session at Lucas Oil Stadium July 20, an electricity coursed through the air with an intensity surpassing all the prior events of the National Eucharistic Congress.

Grammy- nominated Catholic musician Matt Maher led the crowd — estimated at greater than 50,000 — in making a joyful noise, on the fourth day of a conference where Catholics had been learning how to love Jesus better — and how to let him love them better.

The same crowd had arrived at the stadium energized by the most public witness of faith in the United States in decades outside of papal visits, after walking a mile-long Eucharistic procession throughout the streets of downtown Indianapolis.

Karla Hernandez, a parishioner at St. Benedict Parish in Fort Worth, attended the Congress with a group of friends. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament through downtown Indianapolis was her favorite experience at the Congress. 

"Our King was present! He was glorified, He was praised, He was worshipped, and I hope His heart was pierced like ours were as we adored Him," Hernandez stated.

The young adult was overwhelmed with joy seeing Catholics of all ages, vocations, and orders in attendance.

"We had Mass every day, and every time I would see our priests processing into Mass wearing their white vestments," Hernandez said. "It felt I had a taste of Heaven. I attended various talks in Spanish, and every single morning after Mass, I would tear up to see my Hispanic community embrace their love for the Lord."

Genny Duer, a parishioner from Good Shepherd Parish in Colleyville, arrived at the Congress on Thursday, July 18. 

"The Lord has just been wonderful," Duer said about her time at the Congress to the North Texas Catholic.

"The amount of people is incredible and jaw-dropping," the 24-year-old said. "The exhibits as well as the encounter with the Lord have transformed my life, and it has been a dream come true to be able to be a part of this opportunity."

A night to remember

The evening of July 20, the last day at the Congress, began with a prolonged standing ovation which greeted Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., as he took the main stage.

"If you went through all the effort that it took to get here to Indianapolis, I'm convinced that it was because the Lord called you and appointed you to be here personally," he said. "He's after your heart and my heart. ... He's come for you. He's come for you because he loves you."

Throughout the night, speakers were greeted with standing ovations and cheers.

Chosen star shares love for the Eucharist

Fans of the popular TV series "The Chosen" had a surreal experience as Jonathan Roumie, beloved for his portrayal of Jesus in the show, read from a portion of the Gospel that had not been included in the series.

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you," he read in the way he voices Jesus in the show. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

After reading John 6:47-69, he thanked those gathered for sharing that "very intimate moment in Scripture that I personally have so longed to see."

Roumie gave his reflections in a striking shirt — one he reportedly designed himself — featuring the famous quote, "If it's a symbol, to hell with it," from Catholic author Flannery O'Connor, who gave that response after someone referred to the Eucharist as merely a symbol. The audience could not see the back of Roumie's shirt, which quoted John 6:53, with key words in bold: "AMEN, AMEN, I say to you, unless you EAT the flesh of the Son of Man and DRINK his blood, you do not have LIFE within you."

He shared with the crowd that he had spent the last week filming the Last Supper scene for "The Chosen." The prospect of such a portrayal, he said, had caused him a lot of anxiety. "As a Catholic, I understand the weight," he said, of depicting the institution of the Eucharist that night.

"I understand the reality of what it is we believe and what that host represents" and "who that actually is now that we are about to receive," he said, adding that receiving the Eucharist and going to daily Mass has changed his own life.

"The Eucharist for me is healing," he said. "The Eucharist for me is peace, the Eucharist for me is my grounding. The Eucharist for me is his heart within me."

Congress draws to a close

Eucharistic adoration powerfully ended the night, with Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont, Texas, processing with the Eucharist to the central altar on the stadium floor. He knelt before the Eucharistic Lord in the monstrance blessed by Pope Francis, for 40 minutes, with stretches of silence that flowed into worship songs from Maher and fellow musician Sarah Kroger.

People knelt, stood and sat during adoration, many with hands raised in praise. During the final period of quiet, a woman's spontaneous song carried over the main floor, while a group elsewhere in the stadium sang a hymn.

After benediction, Bishop Toups processed with the Eucharist out of the stadium, and Maher launched into "Alive Again."

"I'm alive, I'm alive because he lives," Maher sang, his voice reverberating throughout the stadium. "Amen, Amen! Let my song join the One that never ends!"

Editor's Note: The NTC has contributed to this report. 

Contributing to this story were Julie Asher, Lauretta Brown, Maria-Pia Negro Chin, Gretchen R. Crowe and Maria Wiering.