Author: Eric Deabill

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – The five days of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis could not have ended in a more fitting way — with the celebration of the Eucharist with more than 50,000 people gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Usually the home field of the Indianapolis Colts, for one last day, the stadium was filled with people adoring and praising Jesus Christ, hearts overflowing with love and gratitude for what they had experienced over the past week.

The Mass was celebrated by papal envoy Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who was present in Indianapolis for the entire congress, and who greeted participants in many different languages. In a homily delivered with energy, joy and humor, Cardinal Tagle thanked “the God who is Love … for gathering us a family of faith at this closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Congress.”

Cardinal Tagle, who serves the Holy See as the pro-prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said he brought with him the “fatherly, paternal blessings” of Pope Francis, who “prays, as we all do, that the congress may bear much fruit for the renewal of the church and of society in the United States of America.”

The message of Pope Francis to congress-goers, he said, was “conversion to the Eucharist.”

As attendees prepared to leave the five transformative days of the national congress, and were commissioned to go forth to spread the Gospel anew, Cardinal Tagle reflected on the connection between “Eucharistic conversion” and “missionary conversion.”

Those who go out on mission are a “gift” to the church and to the world.

“Mission is not just about work but also about the gift of oneself,” he said. “Jesus fulfills his mission by giving himself, his flesh, his presence to others as the Father wills it. The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a gift and the fulfillment of his mission.”

Where there is “a lack or a weakening of missionary zeal,” it could be that it is “partly due to a weakening in the appreciation of gifts and giftedness,” he said.

“When pessimism takes over, we see only darkness, failures, problems, things to complain about,” he continued. “We do not see gifts in persons and events. And those who do not see gifts in themselves and in others, they will not give gifts; they will not go on a mission.”

The cardinal asked those present to examine their own consciences in considering why some people choose to walk away from the Eucharistic Lord, preferring “his absence rather than his presence in their lives.”

“I invite you to pause and ask rather painful questions about this mysterious rejection of Jesus by his disciples — by his disciples,” Cardinal Tagle said. “Is it possible that we disciples contribute to the departure of others from Jesus?

“Why do some people leave Jesus, when he is giving the most precious gift of eternal life? Why do some baptized turn away from the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist?” he asked.”Does our biblical, catechetical and liturgical formation allow the gift of Jesus’ person to shine forth clearly? Does our Eucharistic celebration manifest Jesus’ presence or does it obscure the presence of Jesus?”

Finally, the cardinal said, as attendees go forth, will they stay with Jesus?

“Those who choose to stay with Jesus will be sent by Jesus,” he said. “The gift of his presence and love for us will be our gift to people. We should not keep Jesus to ourselves. That is not discipleship. That is selfishness. The gift we have received we should give as a gift.”

He invited them to “share Jesus’ tender love” with “the weary, the hungry and suffering.”

“Go and share Jesus’ shepherd’s caress to the lost, confused and weak. … Go and share Jesus’ gift of reconciliation and peace to those who are divided,” he said.

“A Eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people,” he said. “Let us proclaim Jesus joyfully and zealously for the life of the world!”

During and after Communion, the stadium was filled with strains of traditional Eucharistic hymns, including “Panis Angelicus” and Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus” performed by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The musicians also performed the original score “the Mass of Peace” composed by Dave Moore, the director of liturgy and music for the National Eucharistic Congress, and his wife, Lauren. The Moores, founders of the Catholic Music Initiative, “a nonprofit apostolate that creates beautiful and singable music for Mass,” also performed during the closing Mass and revival session.

Before the mission-sending Mass, the congress held a morning revival. Mother Adela Galindo, founder of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, encouraged them to see Mary as the model Eucharistic missionary and urged attendees to share the visible fruits of what they experienced.

“This is a new chapter in the life of the church, a chapter that we will write with the power of the Holy Spirit,” she said.

“What we have freely received, we have to freely give,” she said. “We must be witnesses and ardent missionaries of the Eucharist and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

At that revival, Chris Stefanick, founder of Real Life Catholic, told the crowd that every Communion is a reminder of God’s love and this demands a radical response by sharing the Gospel with confidence, rejoicing in his love even when life is hard, and above all, striving to become a saint.

“Every single human heart is made for the love that is Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Some people have likened this conference to a Pentecost moment,” Stefanick said. “Ask for the grace that he promised to make us his witnesses.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Andew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., stood before the crowd in Lucas Oil Stadium and received a standing ovation.

“I have a question for you,” he told the crowd. “This is the 10th National Eucharistic Congress — do you think we should do an 11th one?”

The stadium roared with approving cheers and applause. He said that congress organizers had already been planning for the next congress in 2033, the Year of Redemption — 2,000 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection — but they’re now considering organizing another Eucharistic congress even sooner.

“We’ll keep discerning and let you know,” he said with a smile, to audience laughter.

He also announced another National Eucharistic Pilgrimage next year, starting in Indianapolis and arriving in Los Angeles in time for Corpus Christi Sunday, June 22, 2025, and that Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said he would welcome “all of you.”

He also asked the crowd if they would accept the bishops’ invitation to join the Walk With One initiative by identifying a person they can accompany to better know Jesus.

“Commit yourself to walking with one person,” he said. “Commit yourself to becoming a Eucharistic missionary, someone who lives deeply a Eucharistic life, and having received that gift, allows themselves to be given as a gift.”

Already the congress’s fire of Eucharistic revival showed signs of spreading beyond the U.S. as tens of thousands of Catholics left Lucas Oil Stadium in the orchestral afterglow of the final stirring hymn, “O God Beyond All Praising.”

Christina Nugent, 18, traveled with her 20-year-old sister to the congress from Calgary, Alberta, and told OSV News she would love to see a similar event for Catholics in Canada.

Rather than be satisfied with her personal experience of the congress, “this has really pushed me to see what I can do for others when I get home,” she said. “They’re like, ‘If you’re in love with someone, you would tell people about it.’ So if you’re in love with Jesus, you should be telling people about it. That’s my takeaway.”

After the Mass, Bishop Cozzens told OSV News he is “just filled with so much gratitude for what God has done, and really the power of the Holy Spirit that’s present here.”

“It’s hard to put into words what the whole experience has been, from the beginning to the end, so beautiful and such a sense of God renewing his church,” he said. “I’m so grateful for what God has done.”

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – A Eucharistic pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles is being planned for spring 2025, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, announced July 21 at the end of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress’ closing Mass.

Congress organizers had also been considering holding an 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2033, the “Year of Redemption,” 2,000 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, but they’re now discerning organizing an event sooner, said Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc., which organized the five-day congress and preceding eight-week Eucharistic pilgrimage.

Few logistics for next year’s pilgrimage have been determined, Bishop Cozzens told OSV News following the Mass. The route will likely travel through the American Southwest, culminating in a Corpus Christi Mass in Los Angeles with Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles.

With more than 4 million Catholics, Los Angeles is home to the nation’s largest Catholic population.

“We decided that we want to keep this tradition of a national Eucharistic pilgrimage going, and we’re going to do one next year,” Bishop Cozzens said. “The goal is basically to continue the renewal that’s begun through these Eucharistic pilgrimages.”

As for the timing of next Eucharistic congress, Bishop Cozzens said congress organizers have been inspired by “all the people at the congress saying that we have to do this again, and when we were telling people we’re going to do it in 2033, they would say it’s too late, we might lose momentum in nine years.”

He noted that that sentiment came from congress benefactors and people who have been involved since the beginning.

“Maybe it should be something like the Olympics, every four years,” he said. “I think the impact certainly grew more than any of us expected. And so, since it’s been so impactful, we’re going to discern what will serve the church as we go forward.”

From May 17-18, Pentecost weekend, 30 young adult “perpetual pilgrims” traveled with the Eucharist along four routes, beginning in California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Texas.

Collectively, they traveled through 27 states and 65 dioceses, covering a combined distance of 6,500 miles — many of them on foot — with the help of support vehicles. Their pilgrimage included daily stops at parishes, shrines and Catholic institutions, for Mass, Eucharistic processions and adoration, while experiencing the array of Catholicism in America along the way.

The pilgrims converged in downtown Indianapolis July 16, ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress, at St. John the Evangelist, a historic Catholic church immediately across from the main entrance of the Indiana Convention Center. Speaking with OSV News, pilgrims described the experience as personally life-changing and described seeing its deep effects on many people who encountered the Eucharist through it.

The pilgrimage and congress are part of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative of the U.S. bishops launched in 2022 to increase understanding of and love for Jesus in the Eucharist. The close of the congress launches the Year of Mission, during which the bishops are encouraging Catholics to “walk with one” by sharing their faith and accompanying another person to better know Jesus and his love.

 

 

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – Tens of thousands of Catholics walked through the streets of downtown Indianapolis July 20 for what Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens said “might be the largest Eucharistic procession in the country in decades.” But, in prayer during adoration at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, the bishop of Crookston, Minnesota, also said their immense numbers were still “too small.”

“There are millions of people in our own states, in our dioceses, who don’t yet know you,” said Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. In his prayer, he encouraged the throngs of people kneeling in the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza to be missionaries to those who need to be brought to Jesus.

Along with Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Bishop Cozzens had accompanied the Eucharist on a truck-pulled float, kneeling before the gleaming monstrance.

Thousands had processed behind the flower-rimmed float, slowly making their way across 10 city blocks from the Indiana Convention Center to the Indiana World War Memorial. Others lined the streets, kneeling as the Eucharist passed by.

The procession was a much-anticipated highlight of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress held July 17-21 at the convention center and Lucas Oil Stadium. More than 50,000 passes were sold for the congress – the first national Eucharistic congress in 83 years – but organizers expected the procession to draw from beyond the congress’s registered participants.

The float was preceded by hundreds of seminarians, religious sisters and brothers, deacons, an estimated 1,000 priests and more than 100 bishops and cardinals — including Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the U.S. papal nuncio, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pope Francis’ special envoy to the congress.

At the very front were children, dressed in white dresses and suits, who had recently received their first Communion. They carried baskets of rose petals, spreading them on the ground ahead of the Eucharist.

Immediately following the Eucharistic float, leading music, were a few of the “perpetual pilgrims” who had recently finished the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, an eight-week journey from four compass points of the United States with the Eucharist that culminated at the congress.

Walking with them in the Indianapolis procession was Will Peterson, whose nonprofit Modern Catholic Pilgrim had organized the pilgrimage. Behind them were Knights of Columbus, knights and dames of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, walking closely together, and other perpetual pilgrims from the national pilgrimage. The procession also included Catholic dancers reflecting their cultural traditions.

As the Eucharistic float pulled away from the conference center along Capitol Avenue, in the shadow of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church — the site of the congress’s perpetual adoration chapel — and under a skyway emblazoned with the words “These Roads Lead to Revival,” a crush of people left the sidewalks to walk behind the Lord.

The float turned right down Maryland Street and then left on Meridian Street, a central Indianapolis corridor, passing storefronts, office buildings and restaurants, and curving around the Monument Circle roundabout. When it arrived at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, Bishop Thompson and Bishop Cozzens disembarked.

Bishop Cozzens processed with the monstrance, followed by Bishop Thompson, toward a stage at the base of the memorial, where musicians were singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet. When they reached the stage and its temporary altar, they secured the monstrance in its base for adoration and knelt before Jesus in the Eucharist.

As people made their way into the park, many knelt on the grass or the sidewalks as a soprano sang “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent.” With the hot July sun beating down on the pavement, people knelt, wept or raised their arms, or simply sat and contemplated the Blessed Sacrament.

After another hymn, Bishop Cozzens read from Matthew 13: “Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Kneeling before the Eucharist, he prayed, “Jesus we know the procession we made today is a symbol, a sign of our earthly pilgrimage, and it’s not over. … We know that you want all people to follow you. Jesus, we will walk with them. Jesus, bring them to us. We want to walk with them towards you, Jesus.”

He continued: “Jesus we have experienced in these days together just a small taste of heaven. Show us, Lord, who you are. … Make us, Lord, your missionaries to every corner of our land.”

Bishop Cozzens’ six-minute prayer led into adoration with praise and worship music, the song’s refrain simply a repetition of “Jesus.”

After Benediction, the Eucharist’s repose and the final stirring chords of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name,” someone shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long Live Christ the King!”) — to which the multitude gave a loud shout of “Viva!” People began dispersing well after 5 p.m., with most making their way to Lucas Oil Stadium for the congress’s 7-10 p.m. final nightly revival session, which was to feature Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and the Word on Fire apostolate; speaker and podcast host Gloria Purvis; actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in “The Chosen” miniseries; and musician Matt Maher.

Participants marveled at the procession’s size and meaning, both for them personally, and for the wider church in the U.S.

During adoration, tears filled the eyes of Irene Mantilla, an immigrant from Peru now living in Chicago. The 60-year-old said she recalled God “parting the Red Sea” of difficulties in her life and accompanying her. “And I’m still walking,” she said.

Father Roger Landry, a Columbia University chaplain who had traveled the full length of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Seton Route from New Haven, Connecticut to Indianapolis, said the procession was “by far the greatest one that the country has had since before World War II.”

“I was so happy that the Eucharistic congress and the Eucharistic pilgrimage featured this extraordinary Eucharistic procession,” he said. “And that we all had the privilege to be able to walk with Jesus and tens of thousands of others, thanking him for never abandoning us and always walking with us through life.

He was also grateful for this tremendous witness to proclaim to Indianapolis and the entire U.S. “what the nature of the Christian life is.”

“It’s a journey with Jesus, not here to Indianapolis, but to heaven,” Father Landry said.

Theresa and Craig Gilley from Alabama had arrived early at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, and said that it was Jesus alone who had brought them to Indianapolis and to the procession.

“I’ve thought to myself, you know, you can see him in any church on any corner, but there’s something about all of us getting together that is really cool, especially being from the South where there’s not really a lot of us (Catholics),” Theresa Gilley said.

“It’s really exciting to be able to show not just the city of Indianapolis, but the whole country what Catholics really think and really believe,” Craig Gilley added.

Among the first communicants leading the procession was Elaine Saunee, with her mother, Melanie Saunee, of Destrehan, Louisiana. Elaine Saunee received her first Communion 14 weeks ago and was excited to be in the procession, wearing her first Communion dress and a veil crafted from her mother’s wedding veil.

“To be able to walk with him (Jesus) in procession and to witness to the rest of the country is a desire you have as a parent, to bring witness to their faith,” Melanie Saunee said, her voice filling with emotion.

Frederick Williams, a seminarian with the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, described the procession as “such an incredible opportunity.”

“You know, going into it, I was kind of skeptical,” he admitted. “My feet were hurting from walking all week already. But, you know, as soon as I sort of gathered with my brother seminarians here, seeing the immensity of them, seeing them, the bishops gathered, the priests, the deacons, the lay faithful, the religious sisters, I could not think about my feet that were hurting this entire time.”

“All I could think of was just my heart overflowing with love of the church,” he said.

Jeremy Schaefer, a seminarian from the Diocese of Cleveland, said the atmosphere was “truly electric.”

“It’s been an amazing week so far, and this is quite the capstone for the entire week,” he said, calling it “a highlight of my seminary formation and I’m sure a highlight of my entire life in general.”

Dave Baudry from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said he was at the beginning of the procession and was touched to see the amount of people there, especially the kids praying on the sidewalk and the sheer number of priests and sisters walking with the Eucharist.

He described people locking arms together, singing, praying the rosary and reflecting, even people “in tears, crying, as we went by.”

“It was the biggest thing I ever experienced in my 45 years of ministry,” he said.

Beth Schuele of Warren, Michigan, and a volunteer and trainer with St. Paul Street Evangelization, spoke to OSV News as she stood with her “mobile evangelization unit” — a wagon with prayer cards and a prayer sign — at the edge of the war memorial as thousands processed by.

“I think it’s beautiful,” she said about the procession. “The big witness of what it is, that Jesus is really truly present, is powerful.”

Susan Holtsclaw from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, said she and her husband, Greg, were impressed to see “many thousands of people in the street just to wait for Jesus to go by.”

“To see him walk through the streets with thousands of people there worshiping and … know he’s there and that he’s always with us” was a gift, said Greg Holtsclaw.

The Holtsclaws had never before seen a procession of this magnitude.

“It’s unbelievable to see so many people here, all of us worshiping, you know, God and our Savior,” Greg Holtsclaw said.

After the “amazing” procession and all they have experienced at the congress, they are looking forward to sharing their experience with people at home, he said, and “spread the love that we felt here.”

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – At Lucas Oil Stadium, Day 4 of the National Eucharistic Congress, began with a liturgy — and a story — from the church that St. Thomas the Apostle planted in India.

Tens of thousands of Catholics filled the stadium July 20 to celebrate together a Holy Qurbana, the Eucharistic liturgy of the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Catholic Church’s 23 Eastern-rite churches, celebrated by Bishop Joy Alappatt of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago. The bishop explained that the Qurbana, which he celebrated in English with some hymns in the original Syriac language “originated from the time of St. Thomas the Apostle … who came to India in A.D. 52, and because of his mission work we got a Catholic community in India.”

Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of Philadelphia, who concelebrated the Holy Qurbana, told the thousands gathered that just as St. Thomas went forth to bring the Gospel to India, they too are called to share the Good News far and wide. He said, “Just think — 20,000 years from now, somebody might say … if we receive the (Holy Spirit), ‘Around the year 2,000, things really started going (for the church). People strengthened by the body and blood of the Lord, receiving the Holy Spirit, went out with the Good News.'”

Congress-goers joined in what organizers said may be the largest Eastern-rite liturgical celebration in the history of North America on a day dedicated to the theme “This Is My Body.”

Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, told reporters later that morning that they wanted participants to experience the congress’s theme of unity amid the church’s “beautiful diversity.”

“The Catholic Church is a universal church. It speaks every language on earth. We’re the most diverse organization in the whole world, because every culture and every language celebrates the Eucharist differently,” he said.

For most attendees who were familiar with the Mass — the Latin Church’s form of Eucharistic liturgy — this was their first experience of the Holy Qurbana and gave them a deeper appreciation for Jesus’ gift of himself in the Eucharist.

“I felt like it just had everything that we believe, the Bible and Scripture all sort of wrapped from one end to the other,” Theodore Kuczek, an attorney from a northern suburb of Chicago, who said praying the different form of Eucharistic liturgy both felt familiar and emotionally stirring. “It was just very, very moving. The closing prayer … had us meditate on how joyful this was and to enjoy it now, because who knows if we’ll have it again.”

During the morning’s youth Mass, Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson spoke candidly to the young people about the impact that each one can make, even to the suffering.

“We don’t know the wounds people carry. We see some on the outside. The deepest wounds often are on the inside. We don’t know the lives we’re touching,” he said.

“But every time you … offer a smile, open a door, sit with a sick friend, say hello to a stranger — we never know the difference we’re making,” he said. “You never know how God is using us.”

He told the young people the church needed them as committed disciples of Jesus, and that their witness was a source of inspiration.

“It’s so important for us to keep in mind that the young people in our church are not the future of the church. You’re the young church now, and we need your energy,” he said. “We need your gifts now.”

In the Encounter impact session, theologian Edward Sri unpacked the scriptural context of a few parts of the Mass. He acknowledged that many Catholics might feel like “robots,” going through the motions of Mass without understanding what they say or why. Drawing on the wedding at Cana and scenes in Revelation, he explained that Mass is a wedding feast, and “every time you go to Mass, you’re getting a wedding invitation.”

Sri encouraged attendees to keep the “fire” they’ve experienced at the congress through community with other committed Catholics and being attentive to their relationship with people in their lives, especially their families.

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, an international speaker and author who spoke immediately after Sri, urged attendees to not shy away from their call to evangelize those around them by focusing on Jesus’ love.

“We have to remember, people may meet Jesus for the very first time when they meet you,” he said. “Filled with word and sacrament, you become his witness in the world, and that’s their first encounter with Jesus.”

Following the Mass in Spanish with Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, close to 2,000 Latino Catholics participated in the last Encuentro session of the congress.

Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat of New York discussed how to become missionary disciples through accompanying, listening, teaching and sending. He exhorted the audience to cheer for the risen Christ and not let this moment pass them by. “We are here to light a fire, Amen?” he said. “So, we don’t return to our homes being the same.”

Theologian Dora Tobar Mensbrugghe gave a presentation about the life of the disciple of Jesus and how a Eucharistic disciple is also a missionary.

“To be a disciple is not to be ‘knowers’ or ‘repeaters’ of his teachings, as beautiful as they are,” she said. “It is not about being mere admirers of the person of Christ.”

Rather, she said, Jesus wants his disciples to be transformed and “be creatures of love and for love. To be in his image.”

At the Cultivate impact session for families, Damon and Melanie Owens spoke about the importance of developing families’ communal relationships with each other. The couple of 31 years and parents of eight are the co-founders of the Joy Ever After marriage and family ministry.

“It’s essential to build a tribe, those families you can trust to share in forming your children, your family with,” said Damon. “Kids provide opportunities to meet families with other kids. But it’s about finding those who really share your faith, your values and mission, and making the decision to share with them.”

Melanie Owens encouraged moms to find a “collective of women to open up your heart with, where you can trust and support each other.”

She said, “I wanted Damon to fulfill me and make me happy, especially after I’d been with the kids all day. But I needed to form a collective with women to do that. That helps create better families.”

Lisa Brenninkmeyer, founder and CEO of Walking with Purpose, a Catholic ministry providing Bible studies and community for women, at the Empower session said that Catholics need to respond to the hidden epidemic that plagues the faithful and society as a whole: loneliness and isolation. She called attention to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s recent findings that “even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.”

Drawing from the example of the early church in Acts, Brenninkmeyer said that “when the church comes together and offers an experience of true community, transformation happens.”

She acknowledged that St. Paul’s exhortation for Christians to “bear one another’s burdens” is not easy. “Isolation is frankly easier oftentimes,” she said.

“We come up against the pain of being in relationship with broken people and we get hurt,” she said, “so we pull back and we isolate,” but “the very circumstances that so often are indicating to us that we need to pull back from this community are the very things that God is bringing into our lives through the community so that we can be transformed into the image of Christ.”

She encouraged those gathered “to keep showing up,” building relationships within their community and growing them in their families in order to “build a church where no one stands alone.”

In the Renewal impact session for ministry leaders, Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, the missionary outreach to college students, told them they can only be effective evangelists if they trust the transformative power of the Gospel truly works. He exhorted them to have a sense of urgency and not become complacent. Martin said that while God will take care of things, “he really wants you to pray and to weep and to fast and to love the poor, because he did those things for us.”

“The crisis in our culture today is not because Jesus is less relevant. He has never been more relevant,” Martin said. “We have the best story in the world. Not only is it fascinating and compelling — it’s true.”

At an emotional final Abide impact session for clergy, Dan Cellucci, CEO of the Catholic Leadership Institute, shared the story of his son Peter’s diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor at age 7 and how the illness was not “what he signed up for” as a husband and a father. He related the struggles of his fatherhood to the struggles that so many priests face in their own priestly ministries, where it is all too easy to become disillusioned and think that this is not “the cruise ship that I signed up for.”

“So many of you have been broken by trauma, by feeling betrayed … or just beat down,” he said.

He said to those “hanging on by a thread, ready to explode or implode because the life they said ‘yes’ to is now more than the life they imagined and wanted … you have made the right choice to be here, to be a part of this experience with your brothers, and I pray for you to hang on. Jesus wants to heal you.”

Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, followed Cellucci’s testimony by contemplating with his brother priests the “poverty of Christ,” challenging them to become ever more configured to Christ and pouring themselves out for the good of their people.

“This is the point,” he said. “That the Christ makes himself fully present and fully known in his true sense of who God is — as the God who gives himself out.”

As the morning’s sessions concluded, the Indiana Convention thrummed with joy and anticipation of the coming Eucharistic procession through downtown Indianapolis that afternoon. A massive line snaked through the convention center to see exhibits on Eucharistic miracles and the Shroud of Turin, while young people marched through singing joyfully their love for Jesus.

In another jubilant spontaneous moment, a group of women from all over the U.S. with the Catholic Women’s Association – Cameroon sang and danced to songs speaking their love for Jesus and Mary, expressed through their Cameroonian heritage.

“We’re thirsty for you Jesus, we’re thirsty for you, Jesus, we are thirsty for you — and that is why we are here.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – With world peace under serious threat, Pope Francis called on all nations to observe the Olympic truce and cease all conflicts for the traditional period before, during and after the Olympic Games in Paris.

“As is the custom of this ancient tradition, may the Olympic Games be an occasion to call for a cease-fire in wars, demonstrating a sincere desire for peace,” he said after praying the Angelus with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square July 21.

“I hope that this event may be a beacon of the inclusive world we want to build and that athletes, with their sporting testimony, may be messengers of peace and authentic models for young people,” he said.

The pope’s appeal came after he sent a written message to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, who celebrated Mass at the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Paris July 19 to mark the official start of the Olympic truce.

May God help “enlighten the consciences of those in power to the grave responsibilities incumbent upon them, may he grant peacemakers success in their endeavors,” the pope said in the letter that the Vatican published July 19, seven days before the opening of the Summer Games and the customary start of the observance of the Olympic truce.

The Olympic truce tradition, originating in Greece in the 8th-century B.C., asked that all wars and conflict be suspended during the games and seven days before and after the games as a way to make sure participants could travel to and from the venue safely.

The International Olympic Committee revived the tradition in 1992 and it works with the United Nations to pass a symbolic U.N. resolution before each Games inviting U.N. member states to observe a truce to encourage the Olympic spirit of peace.

In his letter, the pope said the Olympic Games can be “an exceptional meeting place between peoples, even the most hostile. The five interlinked rings represent the spirit of fraternity that should characterize the Olympic event and sporting competition in general.”

“I therefore hope that the Paris Olympics will be an unmissable opportunity for all those who come from around the world to discover and appreciate each other, to break down prejudices, to foster esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, and friendship where there is hatred. The Olympic Games are, by their very nature, about peace, not war,” he wrote.

“It was in this spirit that antiquity wisely instituted a truce during the Games, and that modern times regularly attempt to revive this happy tradition,” the pope wrote.

“In these troubled times, when world peace is under serious threat, it is my fervent wish that everyone will take this truce to heart, in the hope of resolving conflicts and restoring harmony,” he wrote.

Pope Francis also sent his support and blessings to all athletes, spectators and the people of Paris, including the many Catholics who “are preparing to open wide the doors of their churches, schools and homes.”

“I hope that the organization of these Games will provide the people of France with a wonderful opportunity for fraternal harmony, enabling us to transcend differences and opposition and strengthen the unity of the nation,” he wrote.

The Olympic Games begin July 26 and run until Aug. 11, followed by the Paralympic Games, which will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

Some 10,500 athletes from around the world are set to compete in the Olympics and as many as 4,400 in the Paralympics. Thirty-seven athletes from 11 countries of origin are expected to represent the Refugee Olympic Team at the Summer Games and eight athletes from six countries will compete in the Refugee Paralympic Team.

The Paris Summer Games will mark the first time there is the same number of women and men competing in events since the modern Summer Olympics began in Athens in 1896 and where all the athletes were men.

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – Absolute silence filled Lucas Oil Stadium as tens of thousands of people dropped to their knees to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as the long-anticipated National Eucharistic Congress officially got underway on the evening of July 17 in Indianapolis.

More than 100 spotlights trained on a large, golden monstrance on an altar in the center of the stadium as a powerful holy hour – which took place before any talks, music or greeting by the evening’s three emcees – began the congress’s first revival night filled with prayer, powerful speakers and praise-and-worship music.

Just before Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota – the driving episcopal force behind the congress – walked onto the floor carrying the monstrance, the 30 perpetual pilgrims who had walked the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes entered the stadium. Carrying icons of each route’s respective patron saints – St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Blessed Virgin Mary – the pilgrims took the final steps that officially completed their eight-week journey from points north, south, east and west across the U.S. to the July 17-21 congress in Indiana’s capital city.

After a time of silent prayer and praise and worship, Bishop Cozzens knelt for a second time in front of the monstrance.

“Lord, we wanted to give you the first words of our National Eucharistic Congress,” he said. Kneeling before Jesus in the Eucharist, Bishop Cozzens recounted how the National Eucharistic Revival — launched in 2022 — has led Catholics to gather to study, teach and pray with the Eucharist, spending countless hours in adoration and small groups, and in parish and diocesan initiatives.

“Lord, we made a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for you,” he prayed. “For the last 65 days we brought your living presence across this land, across the East, West, North and South. We visited large churches and small churches. We had large processions in cities and small processions in prisons. We visited nursing homes and homeless shelters. Lord, we tried to share with everyone we met along the way your unspeakable love.”

He said the pilgrimage prayed for the country and the church and brought those prayers to the congress. He thanked Jesus for the miracles the pilgrims saw along the way: conversion, people return to the faith, physical and spiritual healings.

“We hope to see more,” he said.

He told Jesus that the tens of thousands of Catholics in the stadium had gathered there to give him thanks and praise and to be changed into “missionary disciples, people filled with the joy of the Gospel, people so grateful for the salvation you purchased for us.”

He prayed for deeper conversion for individuals, peace in wartorn countries, those affected by abuse, and unity in both the country and the church. Bishop Cozzens invited attendees to share in silence their own desires with Jesus, and then asked them to pray that the Lord would also reveal his desires for them.

“Jesus, I trust in you,” he prayed, and the stadium resounded as people echoed his prayer.

“Lord, we have come here because we want a revival, a Eucharistic revival, and we want every Catholic to realize that you are alive in the Eucharist, and to encounter your love,” he said. “And Lord, we know that this revival, it has to begin with us.”

After the holy hour concluded and Bishop Cozzens processed out with the Eucharist, the revival’s emcees then took the stage: Father Joshua Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Montse Alvarado, president of EWTN News – who greeted the attendees in Spanish and English – and Sister Miriam James Heidland, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The three talked about their own personal experiences with the Eucharist and what the congress meant to them before introducing the other speakers that evening.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S., was the night’s keynote speaker. He opened with the reflection that “perhaps our main prayer for this Eucharistic congress should be this: that we as a church may grow in our unity so that we become more fruitful in our mission.”

He invited those present to reflect on the basic question of “what is Eucharistic revival?” and “how will we know that we are experiencing Eucharistic revival?”

Revival is “always accompanied by sacramental devotion,” he said, but it “must extend beyond devotional practices as well.”

“When we are truly revived by the Eucharist,” he said, “then our encounter with Christ’s real presence in the sacrament opens us to an encounter with him in the rest of our life. This means seeing him everywhere we go.”

He reminded those gathered that Christ “is also present in our encounters with people from whom we would otherwise consider ourselves divided” including “people from a different economic class or race, people who challenge our way of thinking.”

Living “a truly Eucharistic life,” he emphasized, means that adoration “spills over in our daily life, a life of relating to others, our way of seeing others.”

He encouraged those gathered to use their time in adoration over the week of the Eucharistic Congress to ask the Lord to reveal the places where they are resistant to surrendering to his will.

“He is the only one who can lead us to new life,” he concluded, “by following him, we can become true apostles of his Kingdom.”

Sister Bethany Madonna, local superior of the new Phoenix mission of the Sisters of Life, talked about how Jesus, crucified and risen, “wants to reveal himself” and bring his grace because of his love for each person.

“God knows you. God loves you. And chooses you … He has entrusted you with a mission that he has entrusted to no one else,” she said.

She said that Jesus “knows that we are hungry for love, and he chooses to give himself to us as food and drink.”

“We have this unquenchable thirst to be loved that no one and nothing can ever satisfy” but God, she explained.

Sister Bethany Madonna reminded people that when fear or failure can prevent them from drawing close to God’s love, “Jesus redeems everything.”

She shared the testimony of a woman who was terrified to go to confession because of two abortions she had when she was younger. She lived in shame and silence for 29 years, and when she made the appointment for the sacrament of reconciliation and drove to see the priest, she heard a whisper saying, “You don’t have to do it,” and, “This is too difficult … turn back.”

Praying Hail Marys all the way, she got to confession in tears; and after listening to her, the priest made the motion of picking up a lamb and said, “All of heaven rejoices … welcome home.”

Sister Bethany Madonna said that when the woman received Communion the next day, she said that “my life would be a ‘yes’ to God.”

The opening revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress already had a profound effect on participants who spoke with OSV News.

Belen Munoz, 18, of Rosa Park, New Jersey, said it was “encouraging” to see so many Catholics gathered for the congress.

“Growing up in a secular community, it’s a totally different experience,” she said. “Getting just a taste of what we’re encountering here is amazing, and I can’t wait for the rest of the week.”

“Tonight just showed me that Jesus is just so alive in the Eucharist and that it’s just so obvious that he’s working through so many people,” said Molly Quinn, 18, from Naperville, Illinois. She added the experience “just made me realize that we’re not alone in this world and there are so many people who are searching for Christ like I am.”

“I’ve been having a rough patch in my life and so coming here to this and seeing how God can work through everyone is truly inspiring and powerful and makes me feel revived personally,” added 18-year-old Michelle Jurec, also from Naperville. “I can’t wait for the rest of the days.”

Lotty Cantrelle, 63, a nurse from Lockport, Louisiana, stood and sang to a praise and worship song near the end of the evening. She said her pastor “volun-told” her to come to the congress — but after experiencing the opening revival session, “I know that my priest knew I needed this,” she said.

“A person’s heart would have to be made of stone not to be changed by that,” she said, noting Sister Bethany Madonna’s words about trusting Jesus.

“That gave me a lot of comfort,” she said. “I think this is a journey to my healing and to becoming my former self, who used to be more joyful. So I am ready.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Envy is poison, and when envy and individualism prevail over communion, life becomes difficult, Pope Francis said.

“When we are content with what is necessary, even with little, with God’s help we are able to go forward and get along, sharing what there is, everyone renouncing something and supporting each other,” he said before praying the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square July 14.

The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Mark (6:7-13) about the mission of the twelve disciples in which Jesus sent them out “two by two” and told them “to take nothing for the journey” but only what was necessary.

“We do not proclaim the Gospel alone,” the pope said. The Gospel “is proclaimed together, as a community, and to do this it is important to know how to preserve sobriety,” that is, moderation and temperance in all things.

“The superfluous enslaves you,” he said. In order to be free, it is enough to have “what we need to live in a dignified way and to contribute actively to the mission.”

It is important to know “how to be sober in the use of things, sharing resources, capacities and gifts, and doing without the superfluous,” he said.

It also means “to be sober in thoughts, to be sober in feelings, abandoning our preconceived ideas and abandoning the inflexibility that, like pointless baggage, weighs us down and hinders the journey, instead fostering discussion and listening and thus making witness more effective,” he said.

A family or a community living in moderation creates “an environment rich in love, in which it is easier to open oneself to faith and the newness of the Gospel, and from which one starts out better, one starts out more serene,” he said.

“Envy is something lethal, a poison,” he said. If only material things count, if one does not listen, if individualism and envy prevail, “the air becomes heavy, life becomes difficult, and encounters become an occasion of restlessness, sadness and discouragement, rather than an occasion of joy.”

Pope Francis said communion, harmony and sobriety are “indispensable values for a church to be missionary at all levels.”

EXTON, Pa. (OSV News) – “The Bible in 10 Minutes,” a new viral video offering by Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension, earned 358,000 views in just 24 hours, according to a July 10 news release from Exton-based Ascension, a multimedia Catholic network and a leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content.

The audience response makes this Father Schmitz’s most “viral video ever, more than doubling his previous one-day record of 160,000 views set with his 2022 review of ‘The Sound of Freedom,'” the release said.

Father Schmitz, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, has gained a national following for, among other things, his popular “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts from Ascension.

He will be a featured keynote speaker during the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis. Father Schmitz and Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, founder and servant mother of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth in the Archdiocese of Boston, are scheduled to address the congress’s July 18 evening revival session 7-9:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Father Schmitz begins his new video, seated on screen. “The Bible is amazing,” he says, “but sometimes confusing and hard to read. … We’d like to read it, but without a map, it’s easy to get lost. There is a narrative throughout the Bible that tells a single story. The story of God’s plan for our salvation. Once we understand that story, we can understand the context of every book of the Bible. So, here’s the story in less than 10 minutes.”

In addition to Father Schmitz, a team of Ascension employees spent months on the production of “The Bible in 10 Minutes,” according to the release. The video’s animation was developed in collaboration with Coronation Media.

“We would love to make more videos like this that impart the truths of the faith in such a beauty-forward manner,” senior video producer Sean Boyd remarked. “It’s up to our audience to help us fund more videos and make it possible!”

“The Bible in 10 Minutes” can be found on the “Ascension Presents” YouTube channel.

(OSV News) – Catholic leaders called for peace and unity in the hours after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet and a spectator was killed July 13 in an assassination attempt during the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The Holy See expressed “concern about last night’s episode of violence, which wounds people and democracy, causing suffering and death” in a July 14 statement in Italian. The Holy See is “united in the prayer of the U.S. bishops for America, for the victims, and for peace in the country, so that the motives of the violent may never prevail,” according to Catholic News Service.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, posted a statement on social media saying, “The attempt on the life of former President Trump, the tragic loss of life of an innocent bystander and the wounding of others gives us all reason to pause and reflect upon the divisions in our land. Pray for the victims of this tragedy, an end to violence and for God’s peace.”

During his homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time on Sunday, July 14, Bishop Bambera expanded on his thoughts.

“I would be remiss if I failed to speak with you of this moment in our history as a nation and a people,” he told parishioners at the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

“This is not a political statement in support of the Republican candidate for president. It is not a moment to point fingers. It is not a time to engage in the dreadful social media posts that have emerged in the hours since this tragic event. No – this is a moment that demands that all of us reflect upon who and what we have become in the polarized, divided and angry world in which we find ourselves as a people.”

Pointing to Amos in the first reading of the day and the disciples in the Gospel passage – Bishop Bambera said we must all pray for the grace to embrace the mission of Jesus even if we feel ill equipped to do so.

“We are not responsible for pulling a trigger and taking lives. But we are responsible to set aside hatred, to embrace discourse with respect and to work to build a world of justice, mercy, forgiveness and peace. Nor can we side step our responsibility as Christians. As followers of Jesus, we have all been called to build God’s kingdom, to work for peace, to respect human life in all shapes and forms, regardless of what we believe, how we live, where we come from and what we don’t have,” Bishop Bambera continued.

On July 14, Trump thanked “everyone for your thoughts and prayers, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” on his social media platform Truth Social.

“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed,” he continued. “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our County, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”

Just 48 hours after the attempted assassination, Trump appeared at the first night of the Republican National Convention July 15 in Milwaukee.

That spectator killed has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a firefighter from western Pennsylvania who was among the thousands attending Saturday’s rally.

On Facebook July 13, Father Kevin Fazio, pastor All Saints Parish in Butler – a Catholic parish with five churches, one of which is located across from where the rally took place – wrote to parishioners that “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting and act of violence that occurred at the Farm Show grounds on Saturday, July 13.”

“There are feelings of fear, hurt, anger, and sorrow in our community right now,” he wrote. “As Christians, we need to remember that during times of darkness, we are called to reflect the light of Christ. May we continue to pray for peace in our world, in our country, and right here at home. Our prayers to God today for everyone involved in, and all of the victims of this violent act, their families, and friends. God our Father, watch over us. Jesus our Savior, heal us. Holy Spirit, guide us.”

Bishops, including Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, archbishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; and Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh, which includes Butler, issued statements July 13 calling for prayers and peace.

“We are grateful for the swift actions of the Secret Service and our local first responders,” Bishop Zubik said. “Let us join together in prayer for the health and safety of all, for healing and peace, and for an end to this climate of violence in our world. May God guide and protect us all.”

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, posted July 13, “I would like to offer prayers for President Trump and all those who were injured at the rally in Pennsylvania. We must turn from the path of violence. May the Lord bless our troubled nation.”

The same day, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston lamented that “our nation has once again witnessed another deadly and tragic shooting today” and joined in prayer for the families of those killed and the recovery of Trump and the injure
“As a nation, we must come to grips with the incessant violence that has too often become the norm. It must stop,” he continued in his social media post. “We must find peaceful ways to resolve our differences & avoid all political violence.”

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia also prayed for consolation for “those mourning the loss of a loved one” and for a swift recovery for Trump and those injured.

“Americans must join in solidarity to condemn today’s act of political violence and violence in all forms,” he said in a multipart message on X. “Working together, we can resolve our differences through peaceful dialogue and conquer the sin of hatred.”

SCRANTON – Like many other devotees, Leo Maxfield started attending the Solemn Novena to Saint Ann with his family as a young boy.

“My grandmother brought me up everyday at 5:30 p.m.,” Maxfield said. “We always had to sit in the very back of the tent and as a little kid I couldn’t see anything.”

As a teenager, Maxfield began volunteering in the monastery kitchen during the Novena and since 2011 has been coordinating ushers for the annual 10-days of prayer and devotion.

This year, as devotees mark the remarkable centennial anniversary of the Solemn Novena to Saint Ann, Maxfield helped to organize a “100th Anniversary Archives and Photo Display Gallery” that is open to the public and located in Saint Gabriel’s Room off the lower church.

With the Solemn Novena now underway, the gallery is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“The Passionists had an archive closet/area in the monastery where they’ve kept photos, newspaper articles and booklets from the last 100 years. We took all that stuff, we sorted through it, and put together a wonderful display that starts with the Passionists coming to Scranton and the founder of the Novena, Father John Joseph Endler, in 1924, and it goes all the way through the decades to the modern day,” Maxfield said.

With more than 300 photos, 200 newspaper articles and numerous videos featured, many of the first people who have toured the display have been reminded of the impact the Novena has had on northeastern Pennsylvania.

“It really is a beautiful display and a beautiful reminder of just how far we’ve come,” Maxfield stated. “Anybody that sees it will really fall in love with the Novena all over again.”

This year’s Novena began on July 17 and will run through July 26, the Feast Day of Saint Ann and Saint Joachim. The sacred tradition has been a beacon of faith and hope for countless believers over the last 100 years, offering solace and spiritual guidance through prayer and reflection.

“You walk around and see these people and they’re so deep in prayer. You can tell some of them are hurting and waiting for answers. It is such a faith-filled time,” Sue Yanchik, a parishioner of Saint Ann Basilica Parish, said.

Yanchik has been attending the Novena since moving to Scranton in 1985. She is touched by how many people attend the 4:30 a.m. Mass on the Feast Day of Saint Ann each year.

“People are just walking around the grounds in the dark with just candlelight and the streetlights. It’s just beautiful,” she added.

This year’s milestone anniversary not only honors the enduring legacy of Saint Ann but continues to be a testament to the power of prayer and communal devotion.

For a century, the Novena has provided spiritual strength and healing to those in need, fostering a sense of unity and faith among believers of all backgrounds.

“Everyone comes to the Novena with intentions, with needs, with concerns about health, about family, about friends, about our town, and they are looking for Saint Ann’s guidance and support,” Very Reverend Richard W. Burke, C.P., Rector, Saint Ann’s Monastery, said.

The Solemn Novena to Saint Ann began somewhat organically in 1924, shortly after the Passionists arrived in West Scranton in the early 1900s at the invitation of Bishop Michael J. Hoban.

As part of their tradition, the Passionists prayed weekly to Saint Ann, whom their monastery was named, because they chose the property on the Feast of Mary’s birthday.

As the laity found out about the weekly prayers – they asked to participate.
“Father John Joseph (Endler) began meeting with them in a very small parlor room in the monastery and within a few months there were too many people. They wouldn’t fit anymore. The rest of the monastery was cloistered at the time, so we pitched a tent out in the yard and we had prayers in the tent for the people when they came every week,” Father Richard explained.

It was Father John Joseph Endler who suggested doing the first Novena to Saint Ann in preparation for her Feast Day in 1924.

“He planned it and put it into practice and in 1924 we had our first Solemn Novena to Saint Ann that culminated in the celebration of her Feast Day and for the next 100 years we’ve been doing it,” Father Richard added.

Throughout its history, the Novena has witnessed many testimonials of healings, answered prayers and renewed faith. While many Scranton natives attend the Novena annually, it also draws people from across the entire region who are drawn by the belief that Saint Ann, known as the patroness of mothers, grandmothers and homemakers, intercedes to her grandson, Jesus Christ, on their behalf.

This year, the theme for the 100th anniversary of the Novena centers around “Gratefulness to God for 100 Years of Blessings.”

“Our Novena preachers are going to reflect on how gratitude calls us to a deeper faith, how gratitude invites us to live in hope, how gratitude helps us to adopt the heart and mind of Christ a little bit more in our lives,” Father Richard explained.
With the centennial Novena celebration underway, many say its longevity is a testament to the enduring power of faith and the comfort found in communal prayer.

“The people are so faithful and especially generation after generation after generation they come back,” Anthony Cicco of Saint Ann Basilica Parish, said. “For me, it is the atmosphere. It was sitting out there with my family, my mom, grandmother, and my sister especially, and coming up day after day and seeing how everyone just enjoyed being here so much.”