Bishop Martin: ‘May this Congress not stop here, but rather go out into the world’
CHARLOTTE — In the homily for his first Eucharistic Congress as Bishop of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin encouraged nearly 10,000 people to go out into the world and share the presence of Jesus with everyone they encounter – especially people they may not know.
The new bishop marveled at the size and passion of the crowd that gathered over two days for the Diocese of Charlotte’s 20th annual Eucharistic Congress.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect this!” he said.
The cavernous hall of the Charlotte Convention Center echoed with sacred music and choral voices singing hymns to greet more than 100 colorful banners representing parishes and ministries from around the diocese, followed by flags of more than 20 nations and a procession of more than 100 priests and deacons.
The two-day celebration was a joyful mix of music, worship and fellowship, all centered around the Eucharist as the source and pinnacle of Catholic faith. The Mass tied it all together as a standing-room only crowd heard Bishop Martin’s homily focused on the Eucharist as a source of unity that can draw the Church’s – and the world’s – diverse community together.
During the homily, the bishop reflected on the Gospel reading from Luke which featured the episode on the road to Emmaus, where two disciples do not recognize the risen Christ. They invite Him to share a meal with them, and only then do their eyes open to the fact that Jesus is with them. This moment, the bishop said, shows the power of welcoming the stranger.
“We live in a world that is so frightened…let’s understand how the brokenness of the world has distanced us from the stranger and has made us leery of the stranger,” he said. “Fear born out of sin and born out of brokenness has distanced us and detached us, so it’s harder and harder to remain with each other and to remain in Him.”
People can take a lesson from how the disciples acted on their way to Emmaus, he said. Receiving the Eucharist as part of a larger and diverse community, alongside people they do not know, can help Catholics learn how to bring God’s love to all they encounter in the world.
“May that teach us something about what the Eucharist means, about what the Eucharist can do and can be,” he said.
The diversity of the Catholic community in the Charlotte diocese was on display earlier Saturday as thousands took to the streets of Uptown Charlotte for a mile-long Eucharistic procession.
People carried the banners of their parishes and ministries. Many marchers were praying the rosary, singing hymns in English and Spanish, and playing instruments as they walked. Bishop Martin and other clergy carried the Blessed Sacrament, and as they passed bystanders on the sidewalks, they made the sign of the cross and kneeled.
The procession ended at the convention center and was followed by a Holy Hour led by the bishop, with a homily delivered by Father Juan Miguel Sanchez. This prayerful morning led straight into a full day of educational talks, Eucharistic Adoration, and activities for families, children and those with special needs. Attendees also could shop for religious objects at more than 80 vendors and view a special sacred art light display featuring images of St. Francis of Assisi, in honor of Bishop Martin, who is a Conventual Franciscan.
The event drew thousands of people from all parts of the diocese, shown by a map set up in the main exhibit hall where attendees could place a pin on their parish location. Hundreds of pins were spread out to all corners of western North Carolina – from Charlotte to Linville, Greensboro to Mount Airy.
Attendees were also hungry to receive the sacraments.
Lines for confession stretched more than 100 yards, with penitents lining up in two areas of the main exhibit halls, waiting for their moment with one of dozens of priests to listen and absolve them.
Fred and Norma Waring drove three hours from Waynesville and said they got more than their money’s worth at the free event – scoring unexpected meetings with the diocese’s Bishop Emeritus Peter Jugis outside their hotel and then Bishop Martin – in the confessional.
“Uh-oh!” Norma Waring said to herself when she and her husband were led to the bishop for confession.
“It made me a little nervous,” Fred Waring, 77, admitted. “I don’t like doing this, but he made it easy. I was comfortable talking to him.”
The standing-room only crowd at the closing Mass was so large that toward the end of Holy Communion, clergy at the 36 Communion distribution stations designated by white umbrellas were breaking consecrated hosts into smaller and smaller pieces so that everyone could receive the sacrament.
At the end of Mass, Bishop Martin invited the crowd back for the next Congress and revealed the logo and theme for 2025’s event: “Pilgrims of Hope.” He also blessed religious items for the crowd, thanked Bishop Jugis for his inspiration to start the Congress in 2004 and Monsignor Roger Arnsparger for overseeing the event throughout its 20-year history.
He also smiled as he looked at the people filling the exhibit hall, noting, “We are busting at the seams,” and joked that next year the diocese may need to hold Eucharistic Congress at the Carolina Panthers stadium.
Bishop Martin also encouraged the crowd to take their experiences from the Congress out into the world.
“May this Congress not stop here,” he said, “but rather go out into the world that needs so much the Real Presence of Jesus, that needs to know where to be connected, that needs to know what true life is, and may we bring that to our encounter with the stranger – the poor, the orphan, the enemy – and may we recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Patrick Schneider, Troy Hull, Binh-An Nguyen and Giuliana Polinari Riley.
More online
- More than 10,000 turn out for Eucharistic Congress
- Catholics fill the streets of Charlotte for Eucharistic Procession
- Thousands join in prayer and praise at Eucharistic Congress opening
What the pilgrims said
Luna DawkinsLuna Dawkins, 4, of St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem was attending her first Eucharistic Congress and was happy to share her impressions.
“My favorite part is following Jesus, because we love him more than anything in the whole world. There were so many people who love Jesus,” she said. “I didn’t know there were that many people who love Jesus.”
Anna Bazaldua, a parishioner of Holy Spirit Mission in Taylorsville, is a regular at the Eucharistic Congress and attended with her 
Anna Bazaldua (center)daughters again this year.
“The primary thing I like about the Eucharistic Congress is that we get to be here with Our Lord and share in the diversity in our cultures with the Lord,” she said. “Seeing all of the diversity and sharing with one another is like one big church.”
Lucero Lara, also a parishioner of Holy Spirit Mission in Taylorsville, said she loved seeing how many people showed up this year.
“The Congress was really good this year with the topics and the different tracks,” she said. “I’m really excited and happy to see so many new teenagers and kids here, because they are our future.”
Ethan and Katelyn JonesYoung parents Ethan and Katelyn Jones are members of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte. The two met at Western Carolina University and now have two children.
“A lot of the talks have been very helpful, and even though we go regularly to Adoration, it’s really nice to have that here, as well as meeting back up with friends and family like my brother-in-law, who is a seminarian,” Ethan Jones said.
Katelyn added, “I love it. I've been coming here since I was 10 years old, actually. I was in the kids Latin choir for a while, and then I was in the Charlotte Diocesan Youth Conference and then we were part of Western Carolina Campus Ministry. I love it because you get to see all these people that you grew up with, especially if you're from this diocese. And so it's like a big Catholic family reunion, and it's a beautiful opportunity to really renew that the whole point of why we're here, which is the Eucharist and having the Eucharist constantly processing around and having these beautiful talks and opportunities for Adoration. It's very, very refreshing.”
Frank Corsi, a parishioner from St. Dorothy Parish in Lincolnton, said he appreciated how well organized things were.
“My thought was how wonderful it was that the whole city just got out of the way so that we could process down the center (of town), how beautiful it was.”
Thousands join in prayer and praise at Eucharistic Congress opening
CHARLOTTE — More than 2,500 people turned out Friday night as uplifting praise-and-worship music, prayer and a stirring message from Bishop Michael Martin combined to kick off the 2024 Eucharistic Congress.
Organizers estimated it was the largest opening night attendance ever in the event’s 20-year history.
The Congress continues on Saturday with one of the largest Eucharistic processions in the country, which typically draws 10,000 people walking through uptown Charlotte as a witness to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.
The two-day Congress is the first for newly ordained Bishop Martin, installed in May as Bishop of Charlotte, and featured robust Friday programming with a concert, keynote speech by the bishop, special movie screening, and Spanish-language play – geared toward youth and young adults.
“It’s beautiful. It’s so holy the minute you walk in,” said Our Lady of Grace parishioner Chryste Hofer, who traveled from Greensboro with friends to participate in her third Eucharistic Congress.
“You just melt when you see so many religious sisters and brothers in one place – you just feel like you’ve walked into home.”
‘IT’S SO SPECIAL TO BE HERE’
Nashville-based Catholic singer Sarah Kroger had audience members from teenagers to senior citizens – even the bishop himself – clapping and dancing in the aisles. Kroger, who has been nominated for a Dove Award, was fresh off a rousing performance at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July.
Young families gathered in one section, dancing and twirling with toddlers in their arms during Kroger’s performance, which included upbeat and more introspective worship songs, including music from her latest album “A New Reality.”
Alaina Evangelisto of Charlotte and her husband Gianna were among them, with their year-old twin daughters.
“We started coming here together in college and now it’s so special to be here with our babies,” Evangelisto said. “I love that there’s a concert this year…it’s great to have a different type of worship experience this year.”
After Kroger’s concert, the Benedictine monks from Belmont Abbey led the crowd in chanting Evening Prayer, also known as Vespers.
The evening also featured an appearance by “Adoration Ultra” runner Jimmy Coleman and others who were greeted by the cheering crowd inside the convention center after running 13 miles from St. Matthew Church to St. Ann Church to St. Patrick Cathedral.
‘GOD DESIRES US TO BE HERE’
Bishop Martin’s keynote address drew a standing ovation.
He reflected on ways that today’s world makes people feel disconnected, and he offered solutions for how to reconnect through faith in Christ. He assured the crowd “You belong here,” saying people from across the Diocese of Charlotte and the world can all find a place as followers of Christ.
“We claim a space among the People of God and not one of us can be left out,” he said. “…We must first acknowledge that we belong here, that this is our rightful place. God desires us to be here. God desires you and me to recognize our sacred calling as His children, and to give witness not just in the streets tomorrow morning, but throughout each and every day of our lives…”
Bishop Martin encouraged people to remember Christ’s promises and seek connection with Him in all parts of their lives, from the workplace to their relationships with family, friends and everyone they meet. He called out actions that cause people to disconnect from God and from others, including being judgmental of others.
The Congress offers a chance not only for Catholics to connect with Christ through the Eucharist, but also learn ways to offer that vital connection to others who are searching for meaning.
“We have the power to transform that, to make a difference here in western North Carolina,” he said. “…You belong here. I belong here. May we bring that message to our world that needs it so much. It will be the Eucharist that will remind us daily of who belongs, and the answer to that is always – everyone.”
St. John Neumann parishioner Ramon Aleman was moved by the bishop’s words.
“His message is phenomenal because he is challenging people not only to believe but to try to live more like saints,” Aleman said.
The message also spoke to Hofer, the Our Lady of Grace parishioner who traveled from Greensboro with friends to participate in her third Eucharistic Congress: “We’re all disconnected. We all judge in some way. How does this not speak to you?”
Her friend Nellie Jimenez, a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle in Greensboro, agreed.
“The bishop inspired us to bring others back to the Church, to let them know that no matter how things are going out there – they belong. And with help of Christ we can conquer anything. We just have to ask for forgiveness and for His help.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Patrick Schneider, Troy Hull, Kimberly Bender, Liz Chandler and Binh-An Nguyen.
More online
- More than 10,000 turn out for Eucharistic Congress
- Catholics fill the streets of Charlotte for Eucharistic Procession
- Bishop Martin: ‘May this Congress not stop here, but rather go out into the world’
Eucharistic Congress pilgrims reflect on Friday activities
Cathy Young (center)Cathy Young from St. Therese Parish in Mooresville returned to this year’s Eucharistic Congress for the first time in 15 years.
“My friends invited me to come, and I’m so happy to be here,” Young said. “I think it's really cool that there is an aspect for young adults on Friday night. That was really cool and really interesting to me.”
Cindy O’Brien, a member of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro, has attended every Eucharistic Congress since 2005 and
Cindy and John O'Brien said she hopes to meet the new bishop.
“It’s different every year because the Holy Spirit moves in different ways,” O’Brien said. “We love the procession and the chance to proclaim your faith publicly to Charlotte. You’ll see some of the workers stop and they'll look at us and they'll stop working, stare and ask what's going on, and then you get to witness to them. They're just stunned.”
High school senior Maggie Foppe has been coming to the Eucharistic Congress for more than 10 years. She recalls being reluctant at first to go to the youth tracks, but soon changed her mind.
“Every time I would come back smiling. It was a good experience being with a bunch of other Catholic kids my age and talk about the faith,” she said, noting her excitement for the other youth and young adult programming. “I knew things would be different walking in this year, but it was cool to see the different layout. I feel like we can fit more people in now.”
Matteo MaldonadoMatteo Maldonado from St. Mary Parish and Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, is attending his third Eucharistic Congress this year and was eager to share his experience.
“This is pretty fun. I love it. I love coming here,” he said. “I love getting signatures of priests to pray for them, and they are going to pray for me, too. Probably one day in the future I'll get to come here as a priest.”
Martha Fenn from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe was attending her third Eucharistic Congress. She also attended the
Norma Zitnik and Martha Fenn National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July and noted that it was a special experience, especially seeing Bishop Michael Martin there.
“Coming from the national event, I really felt like we have to support our local Eucharistic Congress. I love that we have programming in multiple languages. That’s very nice. I moved from another diocese, and they have tried to imitate the Diocese of Charlotte because it’s all organized and well thought of. It goes with the theme: ‘You belong here.’ The bishop’s message goes with the times because people are feeling lonely and anxious, and there are a lot of mental health issues, but people belong, they have a purpose, and that’s a good message.”
Norma Zitnik from St. Mark Parish in Huntersville has attended at least five Eucharistic Congresses.
“I think all the Congresses are beautiful,” Zitnik said. “Of course, this year is a little different because of the new bishop, but tonight is special for me. I usually attended on Saturdays, but it's not only for young adults, it's for everybody. So that’s why I came here.”
— Annie Ferguson