Grateful archbishop keeps prayerful focus during eucharistic procession

Archbishop Charles C. Thompson and Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc., kneel before the Blessed Sacrament being towed during a eucharistic procession of the National Eucharistic Congress in downtown Indianapolis on July 20. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

By Sean Gallagher

As more than 50,000 Catholics from across the country took part in a eucharistic procession through downtown Indianapolis on July 20, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson kept his focus on the Blessed Sacrament in a large brass monstrance.

“I thought that was the best witness I could give at that moment,” he said in an interview with The Criterion a day after the congress concluded. “While I know there were thousands and thousands of people around me, my focus was on Christ. My focus was the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

“It was an incredible moment with all the different religious, priests, seminarians and bishops, and with the streets lined with 50,000-plus people. But it was all about the Eucharist. It was all about Jesus Christ. It was all about being eucharistic-centered, Christ-centered.”

Yet Archbishop Thompson wasn’t oblivious to the people along the procession route. He just was taking them to prayer.

“There were all these people,” he said. “How many were carrying great wounds? How many had left great struggles at home? How many were struggling with employment? How many were struggling with illness, with disease? How many were struggling with addiction? How many of these people were having marital problems? How many of these people had a child who may be dying?

“All of those people were here with a spirit of great gratitude. But there’s a woundedness, there’s brokenness among us. So, I was lifting them up in prayer.”

Archbishop Thompson said his prayers inspired by the National Eucharistic Congress will continue for months and even years as he discerns the fruits that the event will bear in the archdiocese and in the broader Church.

“We have to process this,” he said. “I think the fruits are going to bear out over time—weeks, months, years, maybe decades. It’s going to take time to process and really reflect on what this means for us. What will we do with this? How will it impact us?”

Still, Archbishop Thompson described some general lines of thought for consideration in the future.

“How does this connect to the larger Church, to the call to synodality, to the call to be missionary disciples? How does it connect to the call to be good stewards, to the call to the concerns of “Laudato Si’,” and the environment?

“How does this connect to the call to immigrants, the call to transform our culture, our politics, our economics—to be more Christ-centered rather than focusing on the polarization, personalities and egos that tend to divide us rather than unite us.”

Archbishop Thompson also shared his gratitude for the tremendous work that countless priests, seminarians, religious and lay Catholics across the archdiocese did to help make the National Eucharistic Congress a success.

“Our local people are so good at doing national events,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many bishops, priests and the people who were visiting just kept going on about how beautiful Indianapolis is. They just never knew how incredible of a city it is, how connected things are, how friendly people are, and how helpful they are.

“Everybody keeps telling me how much this local Church is going to benefit from the fruits of this congress. Well, the [NEC] benefited from the great fruits of our people, of our local Church.

“I’m very proud of our people. I’m very grateful. But I’m not surprised, because our people do these things very, very well. There’s a great hospitable spirit and a great Christ-centered spirit among our people to want to serve and be attentive to those who join us and come here.” †

 

(See all of our coverage of the National Eucharistic Congress at www.archindy.org/congress.)