Photos from the National Eucharistic Congress

INDIANAPOLIS— Over 80 pilgrims from the Diocese of Spokane were among the more than 50,000 gathered at the National Eucharistic Congress from July 17-21. Each day began with the Holy Mass, with different languages and rites prayed. The mornings had impact sessions for various tracks through which attendees were registered. The afternoons were filled with breakout sessions, where speakers would tackle more niche topics on the Eucharist and life in the Church. In the evenings, the faithful would gather in Lucas Oil Stadium for the Revival Session. The emcees would rally the crowd, followed by a short testimony and two big-name keynote speakers. Each of the keynote addresses shared stories and calls those present to deeper conversation and understanding of Jesus present in the Eucharist. The evening ended with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for a few hours.

Among the Spokane constituents, several clergy members were present, including Bishop Thomas Daly, Fathers Kyle Ratuiste, Vincent Gilmore, and Jeffrey Core. Deacons Ulises Aguilera, and John Ruschiensky were also in attendance. Lay attendees came from Spokane, Spokane Valley, Clarkston, Colville, Chewelah, Colfax, Walla Walla, Pasco and more. Bishop Daly, Father Ratuiste and Morie Ratuiste (Father Ratuiste’s father) gave a panel talk sponsored by Serra International about building a culture of vocational discernment in parishes.

On Friday, the event organizer, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens (Crookston, MN) and the Archbishop of Indianapolis, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, led all of the attendees in a Eucharistic Procession. The procession began at the Indiana Convention Center and snaked its way through downtown for about a mile and a half to the Indiana War Memorial Park, where Jesus was placed on an altar on the monument’s steps.

The Congress was a historic moment for the Catholic Church in America. Conversion stories will continue to be shared in the coming weeks and years. Although this Congress has been a high point of the National Eucharistic Revival, which began in 2022, the Revival itself continues on into and through 2025. Bishop Cozzens's closing remarks showed that the event was just the beginning. The Revival will continue to produce media and materials for the future and has teased the next Congress in 2033, two thousand years since Christ’s Passion.

The Revival has launched the Walk with One initiative, inviting all Catholics to be Eucharistic Missionaries by spiritually investing in one person's life. By casting vision and providing materials for how to walk with another in their faith journey, the Revival will continue to pave the way for what evangelization practically looks like in our modern world. Bishop Cozzens emphasized the importance of relationship as the pathway for evangelization, both with Jesus and with another.

Watch all of the keynote addresses and other coverage by EWTN on YouTube

All photos by Grant Whitty, in partnership with the National Eucharistic Congress.