Congress was time of grace for pilgrims
August 5, 2024 at 4:05 p.m.
The 30 or so women and men from all parts of the Diocese who attended the July 17-21 Eucharistic Congress could not contain their excitement about their experiences in Indianapolis. Words such as “riveting,” “life-changing” and “blessed” were among the descriptives.
For five days, the pilgrims, including Father Martin O’Reilly and Josue Arriola, the co-chairs of the Eucharistic Congress for the Diocese, sought to deepen their understanding about the Eucharist and desire to place Jesus at the center of their lives. They did so by participating in Masses, prayer services, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, workshops presented by well-known, national Catholic speakers and hearing personal testimonies of faith and conversion experiences.
The pilgrims were buoyed about a week before their departure when they gathered for a send-off Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, where they prayed together, shared camaraderie and heard a greeting from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who had sent a letter to be read by Father O’Reilly.
The Bishop extended his best wishes and prayers for a safe and prayerful journey, saying, “As you go forth from the Diocese to Indianapolis, you could not have a better traveling companion than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. May the Eucharistic Congress renew and invigorate your faith and the communion we share with each other.”
Once the Eucharistic Congress was ended and the pilgrims arrived home, all were more than willing to share highlights of their experiences.
“For me, attending the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis was a blessing in so many ways,” said Father O’Reilly. “Seeing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that were actively at work across America over the past two years was simply amazing.”
“The message that was emphasized throughout the Congress was to take our faith and share it with the world,” said Barbara Rookey of St. Monica Parish, Jackson. “We are the Church that goes out from itself.”
Deacon Joseph Sbarra of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, found the Congress to be a “powerful reminder to every Catholic that we need the Eucharist to sustain us on our faith journey and that it unites us as members of the Body of Christ.”
Through her experience at the Congress, Amanda Kleinmann of St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, believes that “God revealed to me that going forward, I must evangelize using his limitless love that he graced me with so that others may encounter him fully and truly feel loved as beautiful children of God.”
Poor Clare Sister Monica Muncada of the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield, said she was “incredibly grateful” to God and her religious community “for the profoundly meaningful experience I had at the Eucharistic Congress.
“It was such a sacred moment for all of us,” she said. “The opportunity to be part of this event comes with a call to share with others what I encountered.”
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The 30 or so women and men from all parts of the Diocese who attended the July 17-21 Eucharistic Congress could not contain their excitement about their experiences in Indianapolis. Words such as “riveting,” “life-changing” and “blessed” were among the descriptives.
For five days, the pilgrims, including Father Martin O’Reilly and Josue Arriola, the co-chairs of the Eucharistic Congress for the Diocese, sought to deepen their understanding about the Eucharist and desire to place Jesus at the center of their lives. They did so by participating in Masses, prayer services, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, workshops presented by well-known, national Catholic speakers and hearing personal testimonies of faith and conversion experiences.
The pilgrims were buoyed about a week before their departure when they gathered for a send-off Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, where they prayed together, shared camaraderie and heard a greeting from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who had sent a letter to be read by Father O’Reilly.
The Bishop extended his best wishes and prayers for a safe and prayerful journey, saying, “As you go forth from the Diocese to Indianapolis, you could not have a better traveling companion than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. May the Eucharistic Congress renew and invigorate your faith and the communion we share with each other.”
Once the Eucharistic Congress was ended and the pilgrims arrived home, all were more than willing to share highlights of their experiences.
“For me, attending the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis was a blessing in so many ways,” said Father O’Reilly. “Seeing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that were actively at work across America over the past two years was simply amazing.”
“The message that was emphasized throughout the Congress was to take our faith and share it with the world,” said Barbara Rookey of St. Monica Parish, Jackson. “We are the Church that goes out from itself.”
Deacon Joseph Sbarra of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, found the Congress to be a “powerful reminder to every Catholic that we need the Eucharist to sustain us on our faith journey and that it unites us as members of the Body of Christ.”
Through her experience at the Congress, Amanda Kleinmann of St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, believes that “God revealed to me that going forward, I must evangelize using his limitless love that he graced me with so that others may encounter him fully and truly feel loved as beautiful children of God.”
Poor Clare Sister Monica Muncada of the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield, said she was “incredibly grateful” to God and her religious community “for the profoundly meaningful experience I had at the Eucharistic Congress.
“It was such a sacred moment for all of us,” she said. “The opportunity to be part of this event comes with a call to share with others what I encountered.”