‘A witness to the world’: Catholics from across the country come to Indy to celebrate the Eucharist

Ed and Joanne Portzer of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, have come to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in the hope of wanting their 3-year-old son Daniel “to see so many people loving Jesus.” (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

By John Shaughnessy

As thousands of people from across the country flooded the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the first day of the National Eucharistic Congress on July 17, 19-year-old Kathryn Tiplick shared her excitement about being part of the event.

“I am so excited to be able to attend the National Eucharistic Congress,” Tiplick noted. “I have actually never attended a large Catholic event, such as NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) or World Youth Day, so the opportunity to experience (an estimated 50,000) of Catholics celebrating the gift of our Eucharistic Lord is going to be absolutely amazing. (See our ongoing coverage of the National Eucharistic Congress at www.archindy.org/congress.)

“I hope people are reminded through the many speakers and events at the congress that God calls each and every one of us to share his love with the people and situations in the ordinary moments of our own lives.”

Tiplick, who will share her faith testimony during the five-day event, believes the Congress is needed, and she hopes it will be a turning point of faith for her generation of young adults.

“It is so important for me to be able to attend the National Eucharistic Congress because it is a witness to the world that I believe the Eucharist is the central and most beautiful part of our Catholic faith,” said Tiplick, a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Carmel, Ind., in the Lafayette Diocese, and a 2024 graduate of St. Theodore Guerin High School in Noblesville, Ind.

“When looking around at a daily Mass or even through my own experience of attending a Catholic high school, it is so prevalent that young people today are struggling to believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I pray that by attending the National Eucharistic Congress, it will inspire other young people to discover the beauty and gift of Christ, fully present in the Eucharist—through the witness of so many Catholics coming together from across the nation.”

Members of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, pose for a group photo outside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, one of the main venues for the National Eucharistic Congress. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

Leela Mattathil came to Indianapolis as part of a group of about 300 people from the Diocese of Sacramento, California, including 25 people from her Good Shepherd Parish.

“This is the first Eucharistic Congress since before World War II!” she said with overwhelming joy as she waited in a long line at the convention center to get her credentials for the event. “We are proclaiming to the whole universe the real presence of the Eucharist!”

Ed and Joanne Portzer came to the congress from the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, with their 3-year-old son Daniel.

“I wanted him to see so many people loving Jesus,” explained Joanne, sharing one of the two main reasons the couple traveled from their home in Ashtabula for the Congress.

“We see a need for a greater love for Jesus and the Eucharist in America,” she said. “This is the answer Jesus would have. It’s an invitation from Jesus to know him. This is an opportunity to spread it not only to other Catholics but to other people in our communities. The bishops are giving us an opportunity to deepen our faith and go out in the world to let people know who Jesus is.”

 Showing that commitment to the nation is also a major part of the congress for 17-year-old Margeaux Stewart.

“It is important to me because it just shows how God is making an impact in all of our lives and that he is doing great things not only in our lives as individuals but also in our country and our world,” said Margeaux, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Corydon in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. “It’s a way of showing he is with us no matter what.” †