AURIESVILLE, N.Y. (OSV News) - The goal of the National Eucharistic Revival and local components such as the New York State Eucharistic Congress - to restore devotion to the Real Presence and its mystery of love - is a "game-changer" for individuals and the world, as Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany put it.
"Jesus changes lives," he said in his homily at the New York state event's concluding Mass Oct. 22. "Everyone who comes into Jesus' presence is somehow transformed by that. If we bear the presence of Christ, yes, my brothers and sisters, we will change the world because God wants to save the world through us."
The Diocese of Albany, teaming with the Archdiocese of New York and the state's six other dioceses, hosted the congress Oct. 20-22 at the historic Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville. It drew over 11,000 Catholics.
The congress highlighted both the immensity and the intimacy of a relationship with Jesus, found truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. The 40-hour schedule included liturgies as well as nationally known speakers, an expansive and solemn Eucharistic procession that wound through the shrine's autumn-colored grounds, inspirational music, abundant opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation and Eucharistic adoration in the quiet night hours.
More than 300 priests, deacons and seminarians were part of the opening Mass Oct. 21, with Bishop Terry R. LaValley of Ogdensburg as principal celebrant and a total of 17 bishops concelebrating.
The assembly of pilgrims from across the state filled the shrine's coliseum. Their faces and voices reflected the diversity of the global church. The many Spanish-speaking participants heard their language during Mass and keynote talks, and various translations were provided, partly with help from a smartphone app.
"I loved the intertwining of Spanish and English and making sure there was that representation," commented Joliz Claudio, who was part of a student group from St. John's University in the New York City borough of Queens, told The Evangelist, newspaper of the Albany Diocese.
Another St. John's student, Nick Salerno, said the congress offered encouragement. "Sometimes being a Catholic can feel very lonely." Surrounded by thousands of people, "you feel the community, and you're not alone." He also appreciated "the power of a very reverent Mass. There was so much love that went into that."
Collections of young adults and all age groups came representing schools, parishes and a number of religious orders. They traveled via cars, vans and approximately 100 chartered buses. Vast parking lots offered regular shuttle service to the shrine. Plenty of families brought their young children.
Tents dotted the hillside, with vendors offering food and Catholic materials. In one tent, the Catholic station on SiriusXM Radio interviewed congress keynoters.
Speakers included Mother Clare Matthiass, general servant (superior) of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal; noted philosopher and author Peter Kreeft; Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat of New York; and Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York was unable to attend but he welcomed the pilgrims on video.
"Our Lord loves us so much that he chooses to remain with us in the Holy Eucharist," he said. "I pray that through this Eucharistic congress, many will come to better know, love and serve him by strengthening our love and faith in this wonderful gift of his Real Presence."
Bishop Espallat delivered his remarks to the faithful in his signature charismatic style. The Dominican-American prelate spoke in Spanish with simultaneous translation in English. His talk was on: "Adoration: Fulfilling Our Vocation to Love" ("Adoración: Cumpliendo Nuestra Vocación de Amor").
"Adoration is completing our vocation of love," Bishop Espaillat said, instructing his listeners to repeat, "All that I do has a purpose -- all that I do has a purpose. Things are not that difficult; we are the ones who complicate the situation."
He noted the significance of ignoring the deceits of the Devil, "who is a liar," and seeking the graces of God, the teachings of the faith, such as the lessons in the Catechism of the Church. He cited verses from the Bible and parts of the catechism to make his points.
"Brothers and sisters, how many people, how many youths today, live a life that is disorganized and without purpose?" the bishop said. "There are many people who live lives that are disorganized and without purpose. … And so I would like to propose that our purpose here on earth is to adore and praise the Lord! Amen?"
"Amen!" the many faithful responded - and they repeated after him, "My purpose is to adore and praise the Lord - my purpose is to adore and praise the Lord."
In a keynote titled "The Eucharistic Heart of a Father," Kelly, of the Knights of Columbus, outlined how the modern crisis of the family can only be remedied if fathers believe in Jesus and intentionally meet him in the Eucharist.
"The lack of strong, principled, Catholic men is undermining marriages and pushing children away from the faith," the supreme Knight said. "To be blunt, the family is faltering, and society is feeling the effects. … If we hope to raise up a new generation of Christ-centered men, we must renew our love for Christ in the Eucharist."
As a father of three young girls, Kelly said he is personally concerned about the crisis of fatherhood and its impact on children. He expressed concern that at least a quarter of American children are growing up without a father in their home - and many more are growing up with a father who is physically present but emotionally absent.
"The consequences could hardly be more clear, or more devastating," he said. "A bad father is a major cause of increased poverty, crime, substance abuse, suicide and so many other heartbreaking outcomes. And as more families break apart, and more children grow up without a father in the home, the cycle repeats itself. … Why is this happening? What is to blame? And most of all, how can we reverse this trend and rebuild the family?"
The answer to these questions, he said, lies in the connection between faith and family.
"The family is at the heart of our faith. And it's essential to our understanding of God," he said, adding that fathers, in particular, play an essential role in the faith formation of their children, revealing to them the love of God the Father. And to do that, he said, they need Christ in the Eucharist.
At the closing Sunday Mass, Bishop Scharfenberger said some activities of the congress had immediate impact: "I know there already have been lives that have been profoundly changed during our time here, and I thank God for that."
But personal transformation "is not limited to what happens at one time and one place," he added. Receiving the love of Jesus in his sacramental presence "makes us into what we consume."
We must take that love "into our hearts" and out to the world after discerning our personal gifts, our individual vocations, Bishop Scharfenberger said. God is the savior, not us, but we have work to do. "He has chosen us - clay vessels, mortal human beings, sinners though we may be."
Bishop LaValley of Ogdensburg put it this way in his homily a day earlier: Consuming Jesus in the Eucharist, "I must become a bearer of that life, of the power I have received at the Lord's table."
The call for building relationships on earth and in heaven, through our families and the church, was amplified at the Auriesville gathering. "A goal of the Eucharistic Revival is to form, to inspire, missionary disciples filled with the love of God and neighbor that comes from an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist," Bishop LaValley said.
Building a "mission-mindedness," spending time with Jesus and learning discipleship from the saints, one can find love in everyday encounters with all the individuals we meet, he said.
Bishop LaValley cited the persevering love that Father Isaac Jogues demonstrated for the Mohawk people as an inspiration for mission-mindedness, despite the risks. Father Jogues and two other Jesuit missionaries, Rene Goupil and John Lalande, were among the North American Martyrs of the 1640s who are remembered at the Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine. Also remembered is St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who was born at the shrine site in 1656.
Caption: Priests walk in a Eucharistic procession Oct. 21, 2023, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y., during the New York State Eucharistic Congress Oct. 20-22. (OSV News photo/Jeff Witherow, Catholic Courier)