CV NEWS FEED // As thousands of Catholics stood lining the streets of downtown Indianapolis waiting for the Eucharist to process by, the voice of a young woman rang out: “Jesus is coming!” and the crowds responded in applause.
The 1.5 mile-long route concluded at the Indiana World War Memorial, where Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, prayed in front of the Eucharist and described the historic procession as “a small taste of Heaven.”
In his prayer, Bishop Cozzens thanked God for the huge numbers of Catholics who turned out for the procession but also recognized the need for it to grow even more.
“This procession, perhaps the largest in our country in decades … was still too small,” he prayed. “There are millions of people in our own cities in our diocese who don’t yet know You. So many have not heard of Your love. We know that You want all people, all nations, to join in this procession. We know You want all people to follow You.”
The procession fell on July 20, the fourth day of the National Eucharistic Congress. Along with each evening’s revival session, the procession was one of the larger events that brought all attendees together to adore the Eucharistic Lord.
Bishop Cozzens recalled in his prayer a quotation from Pope Francis, in which the Holy Father emphasized that Catholics must not allow themselves “even a moment’s rest knowing that still not everyone has received an invitation to this Supper,” or remained “lost along the way in the twists and turns of living.”
“Jesus, we will not give ourselves a moment’s rest,” Bishop Cozzens said: “We know You want all people to follow You. And Jesus we will walk with them. Jesus, bring them to us. We want to walk with them towards You, Jesus.”
Inside the Procession
The procession, which began at the Indiana Convention Center, was headed by a large group of First Communion children and their parents. They were followed by lay associations, religious brothers and sisters, seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops, the papal representative to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and the pope’s special representative to the Congress, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Behind them was the Eucharist enshrined in a monstrance blessed by Pope Francis, moving through the streets of Indianapolis on a covered trailer pulled by a truck. Bishop Cozzens and Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis rode on the trailer as well, kneeling in adoration.
As the Eucharist approached, Catholics in the expectant crowd dropped to their knees, some taking photos of the historic event, others bowed in worship.
The procession concluded at the Indiana World War Memorial, where the Eucharist was placed on an altar. Spilling out into the streets from the park surrounding the memorial, thousands of Catholics knelt in adoration, sang hymns, and received benediction.
Deacon Eric from Minneapolis, Minnesota told CatholicVote that he estimated there were roughly 1,000 nuns and the same number of priests in the procession, as well as seminarians, and other deacons. He also said that he heard from Fr. Francis Hoffman, “Fr. Rocky” of Relevant Radio, that there were over 100,000 people lining the streets to see the procession. CatholicVote was not able to confirm the official numbers by the time of publication.
Deacon Eric added that he got teary-eyed during the procession and again at the end as he witnessed hundreds of nuns on their knees adoring the Eucharist.
“I hadn’t seen many nuns since the ’60s and early ’70s and there were so many different kinds, different orders, and many of them young and smiling and laughing, full of life, so I got this feeling that the future of our Church is very, very bright,” he told CatholicVote.
Deacon Eric said he attended a regional Eucharistic Congress 25 years ago, which he credited with setting him “on fire” for the faith.
“My wife dragged me there,” he said. “I didn’t want to go, but that was the beginning for my faith to come alive—going to confession there. It was like my ears were opened for the first time; it was like I was hearing truth for the first time. It was just incredible and that’s how I began. Before that I was just a lukewarm Catholic, so these Congresses have been awesome.”
Jerry from Peoria, Illinois, told CatholicVote that the Eucharist’s altar at the end of the procession was an incredibly fitting location, as the inscription across the top of the World War Memorial reads “to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the world.”
“I thought ‘wow, God knew when He was having those words inscribed on that memorial, that Jesus His Son would be enthroned there on this day, in front of tens of thousands of people,’” Jerry said, adding, “Because He is the one who brings peace and justice to the world.”
Nicte from Texas said that the pilgrimage was a joyful experience that “made all the scriptures come to life.”
“I was lucky enough to be right at the doors when He came out of the Convention Center,” she told CatholicVote:
We were just awestruck at the number of people who were just there with Him and smiling so joyfully and we couldn’t help thinking ‘there’s going to be so much more of us in Heaven. It’s going to be this and so much bigger. It’s just a taste’ and it already fills us with so much joy.
Hannah Hiester contributed to this report.
