Sights, sounds, and reactions from historic Eucharistic Congress

It was a scene that made heaven smile. An arena full of about 5,000 believers, a snapshot of the universal church in action, a day full of continuous hope and joy, and a historic celebration, all centered on one thing, the source and summit of our faith, the holy Eucharist. The Eucharistic Congress at the BOS Center in Springfield Oct. 28 brought Catholics of all ages from across the diocese together to be renewed, inspired, and set on spiritual fire in profound ways for Jesus, truly present in the holy Eucharist.
The pinnacle of the day, the holy sacrifice of the Mass, started with a choir of nearly 100 beautiful voices from across the diocese singing and several musicians playing the entrance songs Praise to the Lord, the Almighty and Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven. The renditions provided the faithful with a musical taste of heaven. From there, the Knights of Columbus, the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher, seminarians, deacons, priests, and Bishop Thomas John Paprocki processed in, an uplifting moment in and of itself. It’s rare to see about 150 clergy process into Mass, taking about 10 minutes to do so. As they processed in, they passed men and women religious representing 15 communities, most of whom are from our diocese, while others came from across the state. Lay Catholics then packed in the remaining seats in the arena. What happened over the course of that one hour and 40 minutes could be summed up in one word, powerful.
This was the first Eucharistic Congress in the history of the diocese. The experience was part of the national Eucharistic Revival and the diocesan Year of the Eucharist, both going on now. The Eucharistic Congress also coincided with the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the diocesan See city from Alton to Springfield, which happened on Oct. 26.
Before Mass, lay Catholics were inspired by watching several videos, including the documentary, God is Alive ( • God is Alive | Incredi... ), and were spiritually uplifted by talks from popular Catholic speakers, Dr. Scott Hahn, Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, Father Denis Robinson, OSB, and Sister M. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM (read what their messages were on page XX).
Another powerful scene no one was expecting was seeing a line of 300 Catholics at one point waiting patiently to go to confession. The large number of people seeking God’s forgiveness in the sacrament meant many priests dropped what they were doing and instead heard confessions. Rooms in the lower level of the arena were quickly converted into confessionals. At one point, 30 priests and Bishop Paprocki were hearing confessions. The powerful scenes continued from there as hundreds of people throughout the day spent a prayerful time before the Lord in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with the Knights of Columbus providing an honor guard in the adoration room.
A Catholic Marketplace also showcased unique Catholic products and experiences that enhanced people’s engagement with the faith. The diocesan Office for Archives and Record Management also hosted a booth bringing history alive and exhibiting old photographs and items to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the diocesan See.
Thanks to the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the altar used for the Eucharistic Congress was the same altar Pope St. John Paul II used during a historic Mass in downtown St. Louis at then Trans World Dome when he visited in 1999.
Planning for the Eucharistic Congress was more than a year in the making. A team consisting of several members of the diocesan curia was led by Father Jeff Goeckner (pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Edwardsville). They organized all aspects of the Eucharistic Congress.
#eucharist #God #Mass #prayer #hope #eucharisticrevival
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[@andrewhansen5898]

It was a beautiful day, powerful, and uplifting... loved it!