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<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nINDIANAPOLIS \u2014 The people gathered for a dinner in Indianapolis Oct. 20 erupted into cheers and applause when Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, made the announcement: \u201cI\u2019m privileged to announce that in 2029, the 11th National Eucharistic Congress is going to be back here in Indianapolis.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dinner at the Omni Severin Hotel followed a Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis. Concelebrating were Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of Lafayette, Indiana, with Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson as principal celebrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we look toward the 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2029, we do well to keep before us the continued outpouring of graces and blessings stemming from the National Eucharistic Revival that continues to bear fruit throughout the Church, local and universal,\u201d Archbishop Thompson said in his homily.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nBefore announcing the location of the 2029 congress at the dinner, Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc.<\/a>, spoke of the impact of the 10th congress, held in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cEverywhere I go now, people tell me stories about how the congress impacted them,\u201d he said. \u201cI really want to say thank you to the people of Indianapolis and to your role in that.\u201d<\/p>\n A press release announcing the 2029 congress identified specific impacts of the 2024 gathering, including \u201crenewed participation\u201d in Eucharistic adoration and confession, \u201cgreater reverence at Mass, increased confidence among clergy in preaching about the Real Presence, and growth in parish evangelization and service.\u201d<\/p>\n The congress also has resulted in new adoration chapels opening, local Eucharistic initiatives flourishing, seminarian enrollment growing, new religious vocations and increasing numbers of people entering the Church, the release said.<\/p>\n To \u201creally have an impact on the country,\u201d Bishop Cozzens said the plan is to hold a National Eucharistic Congress every four years in various cities around the country.<\/p>\n In deciding where to hold the 2029 congress, several aspects were considered, he said. Among them were centrality, facilities, accessibility, hospitality and a proven ability to host national events.<\/p>\n \u201cWe looked at several potential hosts \u2026 but Indianapolis just came out on top again,\u201d said Bishop Cozzens.<\/p>\n Of particular note was the \u201cHoosier hospitality here in Indianapolis and the way that you all welcomed the whole country here\u201d in 2024, he said.<\/p>\n He also noted that returning to the city for the 2029 congress \u201creally helps us to build on what we\u2019ve done already.<\/a> And it helps us in that way to do something that\u2019s both bigger and better. \u2026 We expect it to be an event that will affect a generation of Catholics.\u201d<\/p>\n Archbishop Thompson also shared his thoughts that evening on Indianapolis hosting the 2029 congress.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are grateful, we are honored to celebrate, to serve and to be the host,\u201d he said after thanking Bishop Cozzens and the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. team \u201cfor all the great work that you do.\u201d<\/p>\n Several speakers at the event noted the impact of the last congress, an impact Archbishop Thompson connected to the closing words of every Mass: \u201cGo forth.\u201d<\/p>\n He spoke of the \u201cco-responsibility\u201d of \u201cevery baptized person to take their role in that mission,\u201d noting that the National Eucharistic Congress<\/a> must \u201calways be connected to service\u201d and \u201chas to be connected always with the larger Church.\u201d<\/p>\n Archbishop Cozzens called the 2029 congress a \u201claunching point\u201d for two \u201cgreat anniversaries for the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n First is the 500th anniversary of the 1531 apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of the 9 million people who converted to the Catholic faith in the decade after she appeared, \u201cshe\u2019s been declared the patroness of the new evangelization in our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s part of why we chose the rose as the logo (for the next congress) with the Eucharist there at the center, because we want the congress actually to be a moment for us to devote to Mary and to teach us how to love the Eucharist,\u201d said Bishop Cozzens.<\/p>\n He called the next major anniversary for the Church in 2033 \u201cthe great jubilee of our redemption,\u201d when Christ was crucified and when the Church came into being at Pentecost.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we want to help prepare the country for these two moments,\u201d said Bishop Cozzens. \u201cIn 2029, you can think of it as a launching point for what we hope will have a great impact on the evangelization of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Seminarian Antonio Harbert is \u201creally stoked\u201d for that moment. The member of St. Joseph Parish in Shelbyville is a senior at Bishop Simon Brut\u00e9 College Seminary in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n He is a witness to the increase in seminarians noted in the press release.<\/p>\n The college seminary, which accepts men from the archdiocese and four other dioceses, had 18 new seminarians enroll this fall. Last year, there were 20 seminarians total at Bishop Simon Brut\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve almost doubled in seminarians from last year to this,\u201d Halbert told The Criterion, the archdiocesan newspaper. \u201cI would say that fruit comes from the Eucharistic Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n Hosting the 11th National Eucharistic Congress will take effort, Archbishop Thompson noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s time, talent or treasure, it takes a lot of people to make this happen,\u201d he said, but he is \u201ceager\u201d to start the process.<\/p>\n The planning process is just beginning, with information such as specific dates, event speakers and more to come later.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>