‘A GAME-CHANGER’

Thousands of Catholics attend three-day, New York State Eucharistic Congress in Auriesville as Bishop Scharfenberger celebrates concluding Mass

The Monstrance is carried under a canopy for the Eucharistic Procession during the Eucharistic Congress on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist (Courtesy photo of Cindy Schultz)

Over 11,000 Catholics converged on the hamlet of Auriesville from Oct. 20-22 for a New York State Eucharistic Congress that highlighted both the immensity and the intimacy of a relationship with Jesus, found truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

The Diocese of Albany, teaming with the Archdiocese of New York and the state’s six other dioceses, hosted a range of activities as a local component of the Church’s National Eucharistic Revival.

The goal — 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 put it in his homily at the event’s concluding Mass.

“Jesus changes lives,” he said. “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 40-hour schedule at the historic Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs 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 on Saturday, Oct. 21, with Bishop Terry R. LaValley of the Diocese 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 Queens.

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, CFR, General Servant (Superior) of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal; noted philosopher and author Peter Kreeft; and Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat, a Dominican-American pre­late from the Archdiocese of New York.

Cardinal Timothy N. Dolan of the Archdiocese was unable to attend but 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 Scharfenberger said on Sunday that 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.”

“Every one of us is called to be a saint, without exception,” he said. We can trust in God’s assistance because “He gives the grace to do the impossible.”

Bishop LaValley of Ogdensburg put it this way in his Saturday homily: 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. “Every Mass we attend should be a launching pad — a sacred event, where we experience Jesus giving of Himself to us, and we receive, and give ourselves back.”

The Eucharistic Revival is “a call to be more alert to the folks around us,” he said, “even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone.”

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: St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born at the shrine site in 1656.

Among the attendees at the weekend Congress, Lisa Utterback from Weedsport, N.Y., said Auriesville held a nostalgic allure. “I haven’t been here in over 40 years, and I felt a desire to come back,” she said. “I was going to use this as an opportunity for a spiritual cleansing — to kind of reset myself and use it to get closer to God.”

Gilbert Rodriguez, who works in the office of adult formation for the Archdiocese, commented, “It’s beautiful to see that people from all over New York State are gathering here with one mind and heart.”

He continued, “My hope is that we carry the graces of this day into our parishes and neighborhoods. As (Bishop LaValley) said in the homily, I hope the Eucharist leads us to mission, empowers us for mission.”