Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • August 16, 2024 25 NEC24 Indianapolis Procession From page 24 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 ses- sion, which was to fea- ture 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 extraordi- nary 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 some- thing 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 pro- cession 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 moth- er’s wedding veil. “To be able to walk with Him (Jesus) in proces- sion 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 proces- sion as “such an incredible opportunity.” “You know, going into it, I was kind of skepti- cal,” he admitted. “My feet were hurting from walk- ing all week already. But, you know, as soon as I sort of gathered with my brother seminarians here, see- ing 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 overflow- ing with love of the church,” he said. Jeremy Schaefer, a seminarian from the Diocese of Cleveland, said the atmo- sphere 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 lock- ing 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 proces- sion. “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 thou- sands 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 proces- sion 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 for- ward to sharing their experience with people at home, he said, and “spread the love that we felt here.” Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News. Contributing to this story were Julie Asher, Maria- Pia Negro Chin, Gina Christian and Gretchen R. Crowe. Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., chairman of the board of the National Eucharis- tic Congress, Inc., and Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis, kneel before the Blessed Sacrament being towed during the final Eucharistic procession of the National Eucharistic Con- gress in downtown Indianapolis July 20. (Photo/Terry Dickson)