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INDIANAPOLIS, IN —More than 100 U.S. Military-affiliated Catholics will join the celebration of faith at the National Eucharistic Congress opening today at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, is leading the Catholic military delegation, along with Auxiliary Bishops Neal J. Buckon and Joseph L. Coffey.
Father Marcel Taillon and Mark Moitoza, Th.D, D. Min., of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), will also play central roles, supporting and coordinating the military group’s participation in the July 17-21 event, bringing Catholics together from across the country to praise and ponder the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, a central tenet of Catholic teaching. Father Taillon is Director of Vocations. Dr. Moitoza is Vice-Chancellor for Evangelization.
The Congress is the centerpiece of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival set in motion by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2022 to counter a perceived decline among American Catholics in the belief that Christ is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine. It is the first National Eucharistic Congress the Catholic Church has held in the U.S. since 1941.
Archbishop Broglio, the USCCB President, said: "This is a moment of history, but also a time of great grace, not only for the participants, but also for the whole Nation. We gather in prayer, celebration, and moments of learning so that we might return renewed for the task of making Jesus Christ known and loved.”
Dr. Moitoza said, "The National Eucharistic Congress reminds all across our land, and those serving far from home, that the Lord is always with us - even when we have doubts. The gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist brings joy and invites a response. We are called to share the enthusiasm of our relationship with the Lord. May our witness, expressed in both word and service, help others to be open to respond to Jesus Christ and to be nourished in the community of faith too."
Throughout the days of discussion sessions, liturgies, service opportunities, Eucharistic adoration, and confession, the AMS will staff a booth in the exhibit hall, inviting the more than 50,000 participants to pray for more priests to serve as U.S. Military chaplains and bring the body of Christ to those who serve and their families. Participants are invited to stop by Booth Number 1351 and pick up a prayer card to pray for an increase in young men discerning priesthood and military chaplaincy. Active-duty priests are in short supply due to attrition: aging chaplains are retiring from the U.S. Military faster than they can be replaced. On Thursday, Archbishop Broglio will celebrate Mass at 8:00 a.m. in the Bishop Chartrand Memorial Chapel in Marian Hall at Marian University, praying for, among other things, an increase in vocations.
Members of the AMS group include Catholics from Fort Knox in Kentucky, Joint Base (JB) Langley-Eustis in Virginia, Fort Cavazos in Texas, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) in Ohio, JB San Antonio in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Meade in Maryland, Los Angeles Space Force Base in California, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and a number of retired U.S. Navy personnel and seminarians.
