Reverence & Spectacle of the National Eucharistic Congress

Gregorian chants echoed off the bleachers as tens of thousands knelt in the darkness, in near-silent prayer & meditation. It was a long way from the usual stadium lights, high-energy music, and the cheering & jeering of the usual crowds at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The National Eucharistic Congress was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from July 17-22. I was hired to document two main events of this gathering of 50K+ Catholics for Columbia Magazine, the publication of the Knights of Columbus.

I was born & raised Catholic, and I’ve photographed Mass and other Sacraments in the past, but this is unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

What is the Eucharist?

Let me describe this a bit so you’ll know more about what you’re seeing. In the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is the bread and wine that has been transformed into the “body and blood of Christ.” Catholic doctrine holds that this transformation (called transubstantiation) is literal, meaning that Jesus Christ is literally present in the form of the Eucharist.

The sun-shaped vessel that you’ll see in a lot of the photos is called a “monstrance” and it’s where the Eucharist is held. In fact, you can see it in the center. It is common practice to kneel in front of the Eucharist, but sometimes people will even lie prostrate as it passes. In some cases (you’ll see later) people will reach out and touch the garments of the priests who carry it.

The purpose of this National Eucharistic Congress is to foster unity among those in the Catholic faith and “ignite a renewed passion” for the Sacrament of Communion (where Catholics receive the Eucharist through eating and drinking the bread and wine).

What Happens at a Revival Session?

The first event I photographed was a Revival Session on July 18th. This was not a Catholic Mass (church service). It was an event designed to get people excited about their faith.

Held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, there were multiple speakers during the 2.5 hour event: a nun recounted miracles she’d witnessed; the parents of a young woman who may become a Saint were interviewed; and a priest with a popular podcast delivered a sermon.

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

The highlight of the Revival from a photography perspective was the Eucharistic adoration. This is a time when the Eucharist is processed into the venue, and people kneel in prayer and meditation.

Dramatic lighting, burning incense, and ornamental garments made this ceremony a unique experience to photograph. This part of the night was 30 minutes long, so it gave me plenty of time to photograph from many different angles.

For the full experience when viewing these photos, turn on some Gregorian chants because that’s what we were hearing in the moment.

Eucharistic Procession – A Public Display of Faith

On Saturday afternoon, more than 50,000 Catholics from every state in the country lined 10 blocks of downtown Indianapolis from the Indiana Convention Center to the American Legion Mall & Veterans Memorial Plaza. 

The bells of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church rang out continuously as 1000+ nuns, priests, cardinals, bishops, monks and seminarians in various shades of habits & vestments lined up along Capitol Ave. As they waited for the Eucharist to emerge from the cathedral, they sang hymns and laughed and prayed.

A sort of parade float, adorned with flowers, statues, and an altar sat idling outside the cathedral like a holy getaway car. Once the sacred vessel was aboard the mobile altar (complete with a license plate that read “GO2MASS”), the Eucharistic procession began.

At the completion of the procession, tens of thousands gathered for meditation and prayer in front of the Eucharist, which was placed high up the steps of the Indiana War Memorial where everyone could see it.

A Documentary Look at Faith

I know that religion can be a tricky place to venture. This is not any sort of endorsement or promotion; I approached this as a documentary photographer, looking to accurately represent of the look and feel of the events as any good photojournalist would do.