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
Pictured above: Kris Frank, chief missions officer for the National Eucharistic Congress, was the master of ceremonies at the 19th Annual Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte.
‘He is with us always’
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte's annual Eucharistic Congress began Friday night at the Charlotte Convention Center. Bishop Peter Jugis opened the two-day celebration with the diocese’s prayer for the success of this year’s congress.
This year’s congress theme is “I am with you always,” which comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:20.
“Why do we have a Eucharistic Congress?” Bishop Peter Jugis asked those in attendance at the opening ceremonies. “First, it is to honor our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, whom we love with all our hearts. And to demonstrate our love for Him by giving a witness for that faith we have in Him by coming together from all our parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte, to bear witness to His Real Presence in the Eucharist.”
The 19th annual Eucharistic Congress – a free, two-day event celebrating our Catholic faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist continued Saturday with a day full of events.
“The congress brings together the whole diocese as one diocesan family,” Bishop Jugis said Friday night. “I know at our smaller parishes or at smaller campus ministries, it might feel like only a small number of Catholics. But when we get together at this congress, where we will have over 10,000 Catholics expressing their faith in the Blessed Word and the Holy Sacrament tomorrow, it does something to your faith. You realize, ‘Wow, there are a lot more of us here.’ And that strengthens our faith, to know we are not alone.”
After the bishop's opening remarks, seminarians from St. Joseph College Seminary led Solemn Vespers. Then Kris Frank, from the National Eucharistic Revival and emcee of this year’s congress, welcomed attendees and gave a talk entitled “The Necessity of Intimacy," which expounded on our need for the Eucharist in our lives.
Priests, religious and faithful from across the diocese prayed and stayed for the Friday night tracks, beginning the congress something like a special family reunion.
“After having been here as a kid, and then as a seminarian, working and serving during congress, and now this my first year as a priest it is truly special,” said newly ordained Father Peter Rusciolelli, parochial vicar of St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem. “Every day as a priest, to be able to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is amazing. To have that intimate relationship with our Lord, and to come here and share in it now with the whole diocese is a very special thing.”
Friday night’s events also included a track for college students, where students from campuses across western North Carolina came to hear talks, share in fellowship, and then later spend the night in Eucharistic Adoration at St. Peter Church next door to the Charlotte Convention Center.
“This is my first year at the Friday night track, and I am so excited to be here with friends and so many new people,” said Roy Nunez, a Belmont Abbey College senior. “It’s exciting to see a bunch of Catholics come together and just share the faith. It really strengthens your faith, and it’s just so exciting to see everyone come together like this.”
Speaking to those gathered in the ballroom where the college track was held, Bishop Jugis further explained this year’s congress theme and the underlying beauty of the congress.
“This year’s theme comes from the final instructions of Our Lord to the disciples,” Bishop Jugis said. “Where He tells them, ‘Go out to the whole world and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And teach them to observe everything I have commanded you, and know that I am with you always, until the end of the ages.’ And this can be applied very beautifully to the Eucharist. Jesus is with us. He will never abandon His Church.”
“Some people will say that the Eucharist is just a symbol,” Bishop Jugis added. “But that is not what Jesus says. The Eucharist is Jesus Himself. He is the Eucharist. He is substantially present in that Blessed Sacrament. He is with us always.”
— Spencer K.M. Brown. Photos by Spencer K.M. Brown and Christina L. Knauss.
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