The star at the centre of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress has arrived in Indianapolis, with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament arriving in the Midwest city from the four corners of the United States.
Over the past 60 days, more than 100,000 people have taken part in four walking pilgrimages that have symbolically delivered the Blessed Sacrament to the centre of the United States for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
After commencing in Connecticut, Minnesota, Texas and California, just like an Olympic torch relay, the monstrances containing the sacred host have been passed from person to person, parish to parish, and diocese to diocese until the four pilgrimages met in the centre of the country Tuesday morning.
The four pilgrimages travelled more than 10,000 kilometres combined, which is further than walking diagonally from Perth to Cairns and back again.
Along with a chorus of bishops, clergy, other religious waiting to receive the host in Indianapolis on Tuesday was CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress Tim Glemkowski.
Tim was the first person signed on by Chair of the National Eucharistic Congress Bishop Andrew Cozzens to bring the dream of a Eucharistic Congress to fruition.
“I knew the enormity of his vision, how he saw this not just as an event, but a renewal moment for the church,” Mr Glemkowski said.
From an initial meeting two-and-a-half years ago, the pair have grown the Congress from an idea into this week’s event of more than 50,000 people from across the globe.
“It was daunting, just thinking about how long it had been since we’d done a National Eucharistic Congress.”
Once a regular event in the US Church, the last Congress was held more than 80 years ago.
“It stopped because of World War II, the last one was right before Pearl Harbour. There have been attempts made to revive the National Eucharistic Congress structure, but it never really came together,” Mr Glemkowski explains.
He believes the reason it has been successful now is due to the events of the past two decades, from 9/11, through to the COVID pandemic and current pressures on religious freedom.
“There’s been a sense of a lot of instability and turmoil in the world. I think people have gradually come to see that we need God as the answer to that turmoil and instability and a need for unity,” Mr Glemkowski said.
He acknowledged the success of the Congress depends not just on the 50,000 attendees, but the army of volunteers that have made it possible, with more than 800 commencing their duties today.
“Our planning factored in the need for the church to respond. There is a lot of generosity to both fund and execute this kind of event.”
Mr Glemkowski said the similarities between the church in Australia and United States were striking. In both countries the church being the largest non-government provider of health, education, and social services.
This is why the National Eucharistic Congress is crucial, as it provides an opportunity for spiritual revival so that Catholics are inspired to continue to serve their communities.
“Love of God flows to love of neighbour. Thank God that mission in the Catholic Church in the United States between religious orders, dioceses, parishes, and schools over the past 150 years has led to a very similar reality.”
Walking into Indianapolis, joining the final stages of the pilgrimage were the School Sisters of Christ the King from Lincoln, Nebraska.
Sister Fiat Marie saying she wanted to come because of her love for Jesus Christ.
“He is truly present here in the Blessed Sacrament, so to be able to gather with tens of thousands of other people, to give him honour and glory, I wanted to be a part of that,” Sister Fiat Marie said.
Her companion, Sister Marie Caritas added that with so much division in the world, she rejoiced in the opportunity for Catholics to set an example for how Americans can unite in faith as one group.
“Part of the witness the Catholic Church must give is our unity in the Lord. By changing our hearts, there comes the change for the world, so when we go back to our communities, we can bring back that unity of spirit,” Sister Marie Caritas said.
While Indianapolis was selected for being the geographical centre of the nation, Tim Glemkowski added it was also chosen due to it also representing the “heart of the country.”
“I think those Christian roots of America are still not totally thrown out the window. You come to a place like Indianapolis, you come to certain other cities, and you see a very welcome and hospitable place for Christians.”