National Eucharistic Congress announces musician Matt Maher, releases updated schedule

CNA Staff, Jan 15, 2024 / 06:00 am

The upcoming National Eucharistic Congress, which hopes to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Indianapolis this summer, will feature Grammy Award-nominated Catholic musician Matt Maher as worship leader, the congress announced this week. 

The congress, the first such event to be held in the U.S. in over 80 years, is the culmination of a multiyear “Eucharistic Revival” initiative of the U.S. Catholic bishops, which aims to inspire deeper belief in and devotion to the holy Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus. 

Set to open Wednesday, July 17, and run though Sunday, July 21, the National Eucharistic Congress will feature a mile-long Eucharistic procession through Indianapolis and several opportunities for Eucharistic adoration with an expected assembled group of 80,000 attendees. The congress will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, the massive indoor arena of the Indianapolis Colts. The full schedule for the congress is available online. 

Maher, a Canadian musician best known for his contemporary worship hits such as “Lord I Need You” and “Your Grace Is Enough,” will lead a massive worship session in Lucas Oil Stadium on the Saturday of the congress. 

As previously announced, the congress will feature numerous “Impact Sessions” led by well-known Catholic speakers including Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of CNA’s parent company, EWTN News, Inc.; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, host of the “Abiding Together” podcast; and Father Josh Johnson, host of the podcast “Ask Father Josh.”

Registration is now open for the congress, with options available for full five-day conference passes as well as weekend and single-day passes. 

A regular adult five-day registration costs $360 (a figure that does not include lodging and travel). Discounts are available for families who sign up as a group; for teenagers; for seminarians and clergy; and for groups of two or more people who sign up together. Single-day passes are available for between $49-$95 for adults and $20-$75 for teens, and weekend passes cost $125 for adults and $80 for teens. Children under 12 can attend the congress for free. 

Organizers said Thursday that 30,000 people have signed up for the congress so far and that periodic updates on the number of registrations would be made available. 

Joel Stepanek, programming and administration vice president for the National Eucharistic Congress, told media in a press conference this week that the event will offer special sessions geared toward different Catholics in attendance to best suit their needs. 

For example, “Cultivate” sessions are geared toward families; “Empower” sessions are for people working as missionaries; “Renewal” sessions are for ministry leaders; and the “Awaken” sessions are specifically for youth. There will also be “Encuentro” sessions for Spanish-speaking Catholics in attendance. 

Stepanek said the first day of the congress, Wednesday, will see the culmination of the four National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, which are set to kick off in May. Starting from four different spots — San Francisco, northern Minnesota, southern Texas, and Connecticut — the pilgrimages will process the Eucharist thousands of miles to Indianapolis, with Catholics invited to join in and walk small segments along the way.

The four processions will converge at the opening evening in Indianapolis as part of the launch of the congress, Stepanek said, followed by opening speeches from papal nuncio Cardinal Christoph Pierre; Sister Bethany Madonna; and Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who is spearheading the bishops’ Eucharistic Revival initiative. 

Thursday and Friday of the congress will be similar to each other, Stepanek said, with opening liturgies beginning at 8:30 followed by morning Impact Sessions. After the talks and during lunch, attendees will be encouraged to visit the congress’ expo hall, which will feature numerous Catholic apostolates, ministries, religious orders, and vendors. 

The afternoons will include additional breakout sessions and talks followed by afternoon liturgies, a dinner break, and then the evening’s main event, the Revival Sessions. These will include keynote talks and praise and worship, starting at 6:30 p.m. and going into the 10 p.m. hour.

Saturday will also have a similar schedule, with the addition of a Eucharistic procession around downtown Indianapolis beginning at 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. On Sunday, the congress will wrap up with a final Revival Session from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by a closing Mass celebrated by a papal delegate with music by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, told the media that “about a million dollars” in scholarships and financial assistance will be available through a solidarity fund and will mainly be made available for youth who are unable to pay to attend the event. 

Glemkowski said the pricing plan they have worked out makes the congress “not just the biggest, but also the cheapest mega-Catholic event in 2024. Full stop.”