It isn’t every day that one hears Panis Angelicus, Holy God, We Praise Thy Name, or the Salve Regina (chanted in Latin) echoing off the skyscrapers of a downtown metropolis. 

But Saturday, that’s just what happened. The angelic voices of hundreds of religious sisters and the booming baritones of hundreds of priests and seminarians, reverberated throughout Indianapolis, songs of praise and thanksgiving for this most august sacrament.

On the afternoon of July 20, downtown Indianapolis was transformed into America’s parish, as the 10th National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) arrived in the form of a mile-long Eucharistic procession.

Over two hours, the Blessed Sacrament traveled through downtown Indianapolis. It is a remarkable thing to see the downtown of a major metropolitan area completely closed off to traffic and business, for the sake of the most fundamentally Catholic expression of piety.

With a crucifix and candles taking the lead, the procession was massive, with hundreds of religious sisters and brothers, hundreds of priests, hundreds of seminarians, over a hundred bishops, two cardinals, and tens of thousands of laypeople adoring the Eucharist, displayed in a monstrance, singing hymns of adoration. 

 

The streets were lined with people all along the route, which led from the Indiana Convention Center to the Indiana War Memorial & Museum, and as the procession passed, these people filed behind to join in.

In a beautiful and moving expression of gratitude for the beauty and importance of Holy Communion, a special pride of place was given to those who have received their first Communion in the last year. They were invited to wear their first Communion finery and they threw flower petals along the route as they processed. 

Of course, the most remarkable and important thing about the procession was the Eucharist itself, exposed in the monstrance, carried on a trailer, accompanied by Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis and Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, who is spearheading the bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival. 

Bishop Cozzens walked with Christ part of the way to the monument. EWTN estimated particpation at 60,000 strong, with ages 0-96 participating. What a blessing!

After all, as Catholics, we realize that under the appearance of a humble piece of unleavened bread, Jesus Christ is really, truly and substantially present. That’s Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Logos, the Word through whom all things were made. 

He is present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. That is the most remarkable thing and something which is suited for boundless reflection.

In our world of instant communication, the procession was broadcast live on EWTN, and social media was flooded with images and videos of the historic event as it unfolded. 

Drones hovered in the sky, capturing a bird’s-eye view of the procession winding its way along the route, stunning in its scope. 

Tens of thousands experienced the event in person, and countless millions more experienced it virtually. 

God willing, this will change hearts, prompt conversions, inspire religious and priestly vocations, and bring about many other fruits we cannot even imagine.

We love you, Jesus.