Editor’s note: Dozens of Catholics from the Diocese of Davenport were among the 50,000+ faithful who participated in the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis. The Catholic Messenger shared the impressions of some of the participants in last week’s issue. Here are some additional comments from parishioners of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport:
Susan Stanforth: “As a mom with three kids I felt it would be difficult to pull off, but I felt called to attend. After talking with my husband, he felt it was very important for me to attend as well,” said Stanforth, the faith formation director for Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
“There are many times as a busy mom who works for the Church I don’t put my needs first. This was something I felt was very important to attend for my own spiritual growth as a minister to others, a mother and a wife. It was a life-changing experience. I have been to National Catholic Youth Conferences in the past and World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. This definitely ranked up next to World Youth Day! So many Catholics were there loving Jesus!”
Stanforth feels inspired to “continue to spread the Good News and educate people about their faith. Catholics need to be educated to know and love Jesus in the Eucharist. All during the congress, I kept thinking of different things we can do at the cathedral!”
“I hope to bring more people back home to the Church,” she said. “I am a firm believer in meeting people where they are at in their faith journey. I am looking forward to walking with others as they come back to the Church or join the Church for the first time.”
Colleen Burke: “When Father Thom Hennen (pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral) asked if anyone was interested in going to the National Eucharistic Congress, I jumped at the chance. I remembered how inspirational the Vision 20/20 Convocation was in 2019. I just knew this was another opportunity to renew my faith and to focus on the source and summit of my faith, the Eucharist!,” said Burke.
“The whole experience was so powerful,” she said. Speakers shared their personal encounters with the Eucharist. She felt surrounded by “joyful pilgrims from every corner of this country who had come to worship and adore Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.” Praying the rosary together and celebrating Mass daily with 50,000+ Catholics who were “unabashedly proud to say the prayers and sing the songs, in other words, to fully participate, was amazing.”
Burke hopes to “improve my ability to evangelize by keeping the joy I felt at the congress in my heart and share it with all I meet, especially Catholics. Pope Francis said, ‘Either we proclaim Jesus with joy or we do not proclaim him.’ I choose to proclaim him!”
Mike and Diane Waskowiak: “We were invited to represent our parish by both our pastor and Deacon Dan Huber. We thought it might be a great learning experience for both of us. We knew that pilgrims from all four corners of the U.S. would be walking to the Congress and we wanted to participate in whatever way we could. We hoped to gain an understanding of why the Catholic Church holds national events like this.”
“The focus of the entire five days was the importance of the Eucharist in our lives. We were so moved by experiencing the Holy Spirit first hand when 50,000 people prayed together at Mass and adoration. We were moved to return the blessings we received to the people we encounter each day.”
“We have already taken steps to keep the fire burning by volunteering in our parish. One of the talks had a clever little reminder that the first two letters of God are go! We hope to take that GO seriously and go out and share the Good News.”
