A group of seminarians and clergy from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles stop to take a photo during their pilgrimage to the National Eucharistic Congress to be held in Indianapolis from July 17 to 21, 2024. (Courtesy of the Rev. Peter Saucedo)
More than 200 parishioners from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are traveling to Indianapolis this week for the first major Catholic conference in nearly a century.
The faithful will join a pilgrimage of thousands of Christians from across the country to attend the National Divine Liturgy Convention, taking place July 17-21 at the Indiana Convention Center and adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium.
The conference, the first in 83 years, is inviting clergy, laity and religious to five days of prayer and worship, engaging exhibits and lectures and “profound personal revival,” organizers said. Some events will be live-streamed for free on the conference website.
The event is also part of the Catholic Church’s ongoing “National Eucharist Revival,” an initiative launched in 2022 in response to reports of a decline in Catholics who believe Jesus is fully and truly present in the Eucharist. Pope Francis described the revival as “a new personal encounter with Jesus Christ” in the Eucharist.
George Gomez, a seminarian at Our Lady of Peace Church in North Hills, left Los Angeles last weekend with a group of fellow seminarians on a road trip to a conference.
“It’s a historic event that brings together people from all over the country,” said Gomez, 23. “It’s wonderful to see our churches come together and see the physical aspects of Our Lady of the Covenant and its diversity. As Catholics, we are encouraged every day of our lives to renew our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ and to learn more about Him through His real presence here on earth.”
This week’s National Eucharistic Congress will lead the U.S. into a “Year of Mission” and send out passionate participants “on fire” to share “Christ’s love for the life of the world,” organizers said.
The Rev. Marinelo Sagin, pastor of St. Mary Church in Encino, helped organize the church’s Eucharistic procession in June as part of the parish’s year-long revival movement, and he looks forward to attending the conference with a group of parishioners and participating in the events, Masses, talks and testimonies.
More than 400 parishioners from churches around the San Fernando Valley participated in the procession, held on Corpus Christi on June 2. They walked three miles down Ventura Boulevard, praying, carrying the Eucharist and “taking Jesus out into the streets,” Father Sagin said. Though it was a short procession, he said it was tied to larger Eucharistic pilgrimages taking place across the country.
“Many were amazed, asked what the procession meant, took photos and videos, and even though some were not Catholic, they witnessed the faith of hundreds of people walking together to bear witness to Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist,” Sagin said. “The more we bring the Eucharist into the city, the more people can see and encounter Jesus. I hope that many of us participating from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be able to take that passion back to our own communities and truly proclaim the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, regardless of others.”
The Rev. Peter Saucedo of Holy Family Church in Glendale, who was on a trip to Indiana with other seminarians from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said the Eucharist “or the sacrament, as it’s also called, brings people into community.”
“This helps us as Christians to recognize our mission to bring the love of Christ to a world that longs for it.”
Thirteen members of St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Whittier also plan to attend the conference, including Lillian Cruces, who has been involved with the church for more than 40 years. Cruces said a national Eucharistic conference is “long needed.”
“I hope this revival will help us believers remember what and who the Eucharist really is. I hope this revival will generate a spirit and enthusiasm for the Church itself, excite people and bring it back to our parish and the entire archdiocese.”
The Rev. Raymond “Ray” Medina, pastor at St. Mary’s Church, agreed, saying he was excited to have so many people from his church spend the week together in Indianapolis.
“In a way, I’m looking forward to enjoying this journey with myself and growing in love with Jesus and bringing that back to my parishioners here in Whittier, hoping that they’ll hear something that allows them to experience the love of Christ and then it will explode across the country and share that good news with others,” Medina said, noting the growing division in the world. “And that’s needed now more than ever, because we need the love of Christ that connects us as brothers and sisters. That’s the whole point.”
