THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 46, NO. 2 | JULY 26, 2024
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann celebrates Mass and delivers the homily on July 19 at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Father Dan Morris, Father Brian Schieber and Father Mark Mertes join priests from around the nation for Mass on July 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Thousands of pilgrims make their way down the streets of Indianapolis to Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the National Eucharistic Congress.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, and an alum of Benedictine College in Atchison, carries the monstrance in a procession during eucharistic adoration at the opening night of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress July 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Bishop Cozzens spearheaded the National Eucharistic Congress for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Pilgrims fired up to bring home new appreciation of the Eucharist:
‘OUR LIFE, OUR ENERGY AND OUR JOY’ Story by
MARC AND JULIE ANDERSON Photos by
I
KATHERYN WHITE
NDIANAPOLIS — “Go. Don’t stay. Go. Go and tell others about the gift you have received.” That’s what Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, told more than 50,000 pilgrims gathered from across the country for the closing session of the
10th National Eucharistic Congress held July 17-21 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Sparked by a study conducted in 2019 indicating only 31% of Catholics believed the Eucharist is the true body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, the National Eucharistic Congress was the first one since 1941. It’s just one part of the Eucharistic Revival campaign undertaken by the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022 and continuing through Pentecost 2025, a campaign that Bishop Cozzens is leading. At times becoming emotional, Bishop Cozzens instructed the pilgrims to leave as eucharistic missionaries. “As Cardinal Tagle said so beautifully in his homily, ‘What you have received as a gift, you must give as a gift. . . . What
would happen if each of you thought of one person you know who’s currently away from the faith and you decided to pray for them and to befriend them and then to invite them to take one step closer to Jesus and his church? “What would happen if 70 million Catholics did that? . . . Commit yourself to becoming a eucharistic missionary, someone who lives deeply a eucharistic life and — having received that gift — allows themselves to be given as a gift.” >> Continued on page 8