Published: 31 January 2024

‘Remain in Me’

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis has announced the theme for the 20th annual Eucharistic Congress to be held Aug. 30-31: “Remain in Me” – which comes from the Gospel of John.

Part worship experience, part diocesan “family reunion,” the annual Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center is an opportunity to deepen our faith and be inspired by Christ’s love for us.

The theme comes from the Last Supper discourse in the Gospel of John 15:4.

In announcing the theme, Bishop Jugis noted the integral connection between the love of Christ and the Eucharist:

“Our Synod listening sessions revealed a desire on the part of our parishioners to renew and anchor our lives in the Holy Eucharist, where Christ Jesus remains truly present with us in the Blessed Sacrament,” Bishop Jugis said. “In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Remain in Me” (Jn 15:4). Why does Jesus want us to remain in Him, to anchor our lives in Him and stay united to Him?

“It is in order to produce the good fruit of the Kingdom. The Lord says: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches; whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing.’ It is especially through our union with Christ in Holy Communion that we remain in Christ and anchor our lives in Him. He assures us: ‘Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in him.’

“And so, we joyfully respond to the Lord’s call, ‘Remain in Me,’ and with deep faith we receive Him in Holy Communion in order to constantly renew our lives and produce good fruit as His disciples.”

In addition, this passage from scripture reveals the depth of our Christian life and the vital importance and need to stay connected to our true vine, our Lord Jesus Christ.

In a treatise on John’s gospel, St. Augustine explains Jesus’s words: “(The disciples) are not in Him in the same kind of way that He is in them. And yet both ways tend to their advantage, and not to His. For the relation of the branches to the vine is such that they contribute nothing to the vine, but from it derive their own means of life. … For when the branch is cut off, another may spring up from the living root; but that which is cut off cannot live apart from the root” (Tractate 81, 1-2).

Get updates about the 2024 Eucharistic Congress online at www.goeucharist.com.

— Spencer K.M. Brown

Your DSA contributions at work

The diocese’s Eucharistic Congress is funded in part by contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal.

Learn more about the DSA and how you can contribute at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.

Published: 14 September 2023

Kris Frank, chief missions officer for the National Eucharistic Congress, was the master of ceremonies at the 19th Annual Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte.CHARLOTTE — Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress has been inspiring attendees to grow in communion and love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for 19 years as they worship together in what is considered a “diocesan family reunion.” This year, however, the Diocese of Charlotte is partnering with the National Eucharistic Congress to help increase participation and devotion across the United States.

“Our diocesan family has experienced so many extraordinary graces because of our annual diocesan Eucharistic Congress. We are seeing similar graces because of the National Eucharistic Revival, which will culminate next July in the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis,” said Father Roger Arnsparger, the chair of the Eucharistic Congress committee for the Diocese of Charlotte.

At this year’s Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte, Kris Frank – chief missions officer for the National Eucharistic Congress – served as master of ceremonies. He encouraged attendees to take their fervor for the Eucharist to the national event in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024, when the Church in the United States will gather in one place to worship and celebrate the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist – the first such event in 83 years.

“The 10th National Eucharistic Congress is going to be a truly historic event for our Church. Like other events, there will be amazing speakers and worship opportunities, but I truly believe this event will be so much greater than the sum of its parts,” Frank said in a recent interview. “I think God has something special lined up for the Church, and I see the 10th National Eucharistic Congress being a pivotal moment where Christ reignites and renews His Church.”

The Diocese of Charlotte eagerly partnered with the National Planning Committee for the Eucharistic Revival and Congress, Father Arnsparger noted.

“We were served well by Chris Beal, director of the Office of Catechetical Formation, who represented us at the national meetings,” Father Arnsparger said. “I hope that many of our parishioners in the diocese will plan to be at the National Eucharistic Congress to share in this great opportunity to honor Our Lord on a national level.”

Because of the partnership, members of the Diocese of Charlotte who are purchasing individual passes receive a $76 discount on tickets to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Using the code “CHARLOTTE” when registering for an individual pass drops the price from $375 to $299.

“It has been a joy working closely with the Diocese of Charlotte,” Frank said. “We wanted to make it easier for those who attend the diocesan event to attend the national event in Indianapolis next summer.”

Frank also spoke at Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress. In his talk, “The Necessity of Intimacy,” he stressed the importance of having a personal and daily relationship with God.

“One practical way in which we can accomplish this is through visiting Jesus in the Eucharist, whether at daily Mass or Eucharistic Adoration,” he said. “If I want a strong and healthy marriage, no one would be surprised that I carve out time to be with my wife; similarly, the same is true if we want a healthy relationship with God.”

For more information about the National Eucharistic Congress, visit www.eucharisticcongress.org.

— Annie Ferguson