By John Andrews
I gotta say, the U.S. Bishops really nailed it when they called for this Eucharistic Revival. The centrality of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ may be the one thing we can all agree on these days. This oneness and shared joy is everywhere this week at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Our diocesan delegation arrived yesterday and we’re experiencing day 1 of the Congress, the first of its kind in our country in 86 years. Much of the morning and early afternoon was spent queuing up for registration. This may be the longest line I’ve ever seen, which brought two thoughts to mind. James Joyce’s famous description of the Church in Finnegan’s Wake, “here comes everybody.” The diversity of Catholics, with their many colors, cultures, and ways of witnessing faith is truly on display here. I’m especially enjoying the different t-shirts and hats that dioceses, parishes and Catholic organizations are sporting to “represent.” The other thought, as we watched spiral after spiral of people slowly winding through the Convention Center ahead of us in pursuit of their prized all-access badge, was Dante’s Divine Comedy (joking).
The exhibit hall opened in the afternoon and it’s kind of like the RE Congress on steroids. All the heavy hitters are here – OSV, Knights of Columbus, EWTN, Word on Fire, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ascension Press, etc. I think I enjoyed the rows of religious communities the most, especially a little visit with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who have a special place with me because of my friends Sister Sara Kane, Sister Linda Nicholson and Sister Suzanne Jabro.
So this thing is just getting started and later tonight we are all going to gather in Lucas Oil Stadium to welcome in the opening procession those very fit brothers and sisters who have been walking to Indianapolis from the four corners of the country since the middle of May. I will check in with you tomorrow with some insights and highlights from the different talks and liturgies our delegation will be attending. Look for lots of images and video clips on our diocesan social media platforms. And, of course, please keep us in prayer as we pray for you, too.
Blessings.
John Andrews is the Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of San Bernardino.