What happens when you get 50,000+ Catholics together? When you gather such famous Catholics as Sr. Miriam, Bishop Barron, Chris Stefanik and many, many more? You have a Catholic party in Indianapolis! And as my kids are known to shout, “There ain’t no party like a Catholic party ‘cuz a Catholic party don’t stop!”
Joan and I were blessed to be able to bring all of our Behold Club groups to this amazing gathering of Catholics from around the world. We were present at the vendor area, sharing space with such companies as Ascension Presents, Tiny Saints, and more religious orders in one place than I have ever seen.
We talked about Little Flowers, Blue Knights, the Little Way and all of our clubs to families of all sizes, to educators and DRE’s. We bragged about all of you and the hard work you are doing to strive to grow in holiness, one virtue at a time.
A few highlights from our booth:
-meeting all of the Little Flowers who came with sashes on to meet us and get their gifts as a small thank you.
-meeting young adults who did Little Flowers or other programs ‘way back when’ and remembered their time with real love and affection. More than one said our programs helped foster their love of Jesus and His Church. More than a few took pictures of Joan and I to send to their parents.
-meeting a Dominican from Nashville, whose name tag is hidden in the photo we have so I don’t know her name :-{ who did LF’s while on a base in Germany. I teared up when she said her time with LF certainly helped her vocation. And her brother, now a priest, was once a Blue Knight!
Those meetings meant the world to us as our small size can make us feel small in the world of Catholic groups/apostolates. These encounters reminded us that we can imagine ourselves as the small mustard seeds that grow into bushes large enough to hold perching birds (Mt. 13:21). We may be small but we are mighty.
We remembered all of you at every Mass and evening Adoration (with the biggest monstrance I have ever seen) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/knOlvWu7mXY
Each Mass had a 15+ minute processional of over 50 bishops and even more priests and seminarians. Watching Jesus being taken and received throughout Lucas Oil field was profound. We were also able to hear amazing talks. And Joan was able to take part in the amazing Eucharistic procession down the middle of Indianapolis. Our memories of this amazing time will remain with us.
Sound exciting? It was, and we want to encourage you to give you and your family its own mini Eucharistic Congress by watching any of the videos uploaded on YouTube. Check out the images of the procession.
My recommended talks?
Msgr. James Shea – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Q2kgvA31k
Jonathon Roumi, The Chosen – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7iZEOxAWoE
Of course, I enjoyed all of the talks but Msgr. Shea’s taught me some things about the Eucharistic I had never contemplated. And Jonathon Roumi reading the John 6:46ff, (Jesus, the Bread of Life) as “Jesus” was moving.
As he was quick to remind us, he is “TV Jesus, not real Jesus. TV Jesus, not real Jesus” but many of us have had our faith, and the faith of our children, family or friends encouraged by The Chosen. We know this discourse will not be filmed as a part of the series so hearing him, as Jesus, say those power words, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” and more was just powerful.
After all, this Congress was organized to remind us all that Jesus is truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharistic at every Mass. And it remains up to us not only to remember that, reverence that awesome reality, and share it with others.
In closing, we are grateful for those who shared with us, through their donations, to help us get to the Congress: Bette Green, Rick Schaefer, Ann Dardis, Sarah Bauer, and Gloria O’Neill. Our time in Indianapolis may be over, but will continue to spread seeds of our own.
