Hundreds travel from the LA Archdiocese to Indiana for Catholic Eucharistic conference

A group of seminarians and clergy from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles stop to take a photo while journeying as pilgrims to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, from July 17 through 21, 2024. (Courtesy of Rev. Peter Saucedo)

More than 200 parishioners from the Los Angeles Archdiocese are traveling to Indianapolis this week for a major Catholic conference, the first in nearly a century.

The faithful join a pilgrimage of thousands of Christians from across the country traveling for the National Eucharistic Congress, hosted at the Indiana Convention Center and neighboring Lucas Oil Stadium, from July 17 through 21.

The conference is the first of its kind in 83 years; with clergy, laypersons and religious invited for five days of prayer and worship opportunities, engaging exhibits and speakers, and a “profound personal revival,” organizers said. Some events will be live-streamed free on the conference website.

The event is also part of an ongoing initiative in the Catholic Church, launched in 2022, called the National Eucharistic Revival — in response to reports of fewer Catholics who believe that Jesus is fully, truly present in the Eucharist. Pope Francis described the revival as a “renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ” in the form of the Holy Eucharist.

Seminarian George Gomez, from Our Lady of Peace in North Hills, left L.A. over the weekend on a road trip to the conference with his fellow seminarians.

“It’s an historic event, with all of these people uniting around the country,” said Gomez, 23.  “It’s great to see our church all coming together to this one place, to see the physical aspect of Holy Mother Church and how diverse she is. We as Catholics are encouraged to renew our faith every single day of our lives, our relationship with Jesus Christ, and to learn more about Him through the true presence here on earth.”

This week’s National Eucharistic Congress will launch the U.S. into a “Year of Mission,” sending passionate attendees who are “on fire” to share “Christ’s love for the life of the world,” organizers said.

Rev. Marinello Saguin, pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Encino, helped to organize a church Eucharistic procession in June as part of his parish’s year-long revival movement. He is attending the conference with a group of parishioners, and looking forward to attending the events, Masses, talks and testimonies.

The procession on June 2 — the Feast Day of Corpus Christi — included more than 400 parishioners from churches around the San Fernando Valley. They walked for three miles down Ventura Boulevard, praying and carrying the Blessed Sacrament and “bringing Jesus to the streets,” Father Saguin said. It was a shorter procession that he said united to the larger, nationwide Eucharistic pilgrimage happening throughout the country.

“Many people were surprised, asked the meaning behind the procession, taking pictures or videos. Some of them were not even Catholic, but they witnessed the faith of hundreds of people walking together to testify Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist,” Saguin said. “The more we take the Blessed Sacrament to the streets, the more we allow people to see Jesus…to have an encounter. I hope that many of us who are attending from the L.A. Archdiocese bring that fire back to our own communities, so that we can ignore others to truly proclaim the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. “

Rev. Peter Saucedo from Holy Family Church in Glendale, who was traveling to Indiana on a road trip with other seminarians from the L.A. Archdiocese, said that the Eucharist “or communion, as we also call it, brings people into community.”

“It allows for us as Christians to recognize our call to bring the love of Christ to a world that is looking.”

A group of 13 parishioners from St. Mary of the Assumption in Whittier are also traveling to the conference — including Lilian Cruces, who has been involved with her church for over 40 years. Cruces said the National Eucharistic Congress has been “longtime needed.”

“This revival will hopefully guide us, the faithful, to help us remember what — and who — the Eucharist truly is. We hope that it could generate spirit, zeal for the church itself, and bring people to excitement, and to bring that back our parish and throughout the Archdiocese.”

Rev. Raymont “Ray” Medina, St. Mary’s pastor, agreed. He was excited that a big group from his church would be spending the week in Indianapolis together.

“On one level, I’m looking forward to having a journey with myself, growing in deeper love with Jesus, and taking that back to our parishioners here in Whittier. I hope they hear something that allows them to experience the love of Christ… to have that nationally explode, and share that good news with others,” Medina said, referencing increasing divisions in the world. “It’s needed more than ever, because we need the love of Christ to unite us as brothers and sisters. That’s the bottom line.”