Busloads depart from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Divine Child Parish to take part in 'once-in-a-lifetime' spiritual opportunity
DETROIT — Detroit power rolled down the highway on its way to Indianapolis on Wednesday morning.
Only it was a prayer power — not horsepower — that transported more than 300 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Detroit to the World’s Racing Capital for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
Pilgrims from the Motor City got rolling Wednesday morning, ready to meet an estimated 50,000 Catholics from across the country at Lucas Oil Stadium, ready to proclaim their devotion and belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
“Everyone is excited to take part in a national event that hasn’t taken place in some (80) years,” Kathy Fech, sacred worship coordinator of the Archdiocese Detroit, told Detroit Catholic, referencing how this year’s National Eucharistic Congress is the first since the congress at Falcon Heights, Minnesota, in 1941.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come together with Catholics to worship our Lord in the Eucharist, and more importantly take the love of our Lord in the Eucharist, and our passion for Our Lord, the living Christ, back to our parishes, to our homes, to our communities,” Fech said.
Fech was part of a cohort of 50 pilgrims who departed from Sacred Heart Major Seminary on Wednesday morning to Indianapolis, where they were to celebrate Mass with Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and other bishops, priests and deacons of the archdiocese at the SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon.
“The cathedral staff (in Indianapolis) have been so joyous and welcoming to us, helping with worship aids and music," Fech said. "We’re expecting 300 people there, with (now-retired) Bishop (Donald) Hanchon, Bishop (Arturo) Cepeda and Bishop (Jeffery) Monforton, as well as many priests and deacons to help celebrate this event.”
For parishioners who gathered early Wednesday morning for the trip, the anticipation of meeting fellow Catholics from across the country to give witness to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was palpable.
“I wanted to experience the love of Jesus where like-minded people come together to be part of this great event,” said Eileen Smith, a parishioner at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park and a Secular Franciscan at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit. “Jesus is there, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the Eucharist. It’s amazing. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, and he loves us all unconditionally. We all come together to receive his love, and he is also in us. We come to worship and pray and be part of his community.”
Martin Stobby, a parishioner of St. Aloysius Parish in Detroit who came into the Church during the Easter vigil in 2023, said the Eucharist played a primary role in his conversion from atheism. Stobby said becoming involved with Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry and attending the SEEK Conference in St. Louis with FOCUS missionaries piqued his interest in the National Eucharistic Congress.
“Reading (Pope St.) Paul VI during my conversion really convinced me to choose Catholicism,” Stobby said. “I was convinced Christianity was the truth, but wasn’t sure which version of Christianity I’d go with. But Paul VI and the real presence of the Eucharist was a big part of me becoming Catholic.”
Stobby said he has been attending daily Mass in preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress, in addition to more frequently availing himself of the sacrament of confession.
When a Pew Research poll called into question whether a majority of Catholics truly believe in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, Stobby said it emphasized how much work Catholics need to do in proclaiming the truth about the Eucharist, both inside and outside the Church.
“I think it’s important for those who believe to bring it to the rest of the world, but also to remind fellow Catholics why we have the Eucharist,” Stobby said. “We are created for intimacy with God in this special way. And if we’re not receiving that gift, we’re doing ourselves and our fellow men a disservice.”
Young people excited for congress
Across town in Dearborn, teenagers and young people gathered in a separate bus to travel to Indianapolis.
Christian Strong of the Church of the Divine Child Parish in Dearborn said the congress is an opportunity to grow in appreciation for the Eucharist, especially with other members of the faithful from the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“I want to grow deeper in my faith, and I think it’s fun to see people really embracing their faith so publicly,” Strong told Detroit Catholic. “The Eucharist is the main part of our faith; it’s Jesus’ body we are consuming, so I feel it’s a big part of it all.
“I think it will be so powerful to see so many people show one faith to the true God and show how empowering it is for people who are unsure of their faith, to see how many people from across the country give reverence to the Eucharist,” Strong added.
For Karla Argueta of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit, the National Eucharistic Congress is a chance to make more Catholic friends with whom she can share her love for Jesus.
“I think when people come together with one faith, one meaning, one goal, it’s super powerful because you get to grow and see how people grow and give their faith and life to Jesus,” Argueta said. “I think that’s the most important thing; finding people who help you grow.”
Argueta attends First Fridays at Most Holy Trinity, a devotion she started practicing after she overcame a bout with leukemia when she was 12 years old, attributing her healing to the power of the Eucharist.
“I’m 17 now and four years cancer free because of the Eucharist,” Argueta said. “The Eucharist was a big part of my life at that time, and it’s why I’m so thankful today. I think it’s important for young people today to share stories like this because have a pure heart; we surprise people when we talk about how much we love God. It’s a light in this dark world when we come together.”
Divine Child has been organizing Eucharistic adoration on Tuesdays in preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress, as well as hosting presentations about different parts of the Mass, all part of an effort to encourage parishioners and students, whether they attend the congress or not, to deepen their appreciation and devotion for the Eucharist, said Fr. Bob McCabe, the priest assigned to Divine Child.
“I’m looking forward to everyone having a deeper love for the Eucharist,” Fr. McCabe said. “The time spent at the Eucharistic Congress will deepen a lifelong endeavor to grow more in love with Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. For everyone who is attending the congress or who is spiritually united with us, it’s a reflection the Body of Christ coming together to adore and to love more deeply Jesus in the Eucharist,”
“I think it will bear abundant fruit," Fr. McCabe added. "I know it will.”
Copy Permalink
