Eucharistic Congress draws thousands of pilgrims to New York shrine

The ancient truism, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” was truly evident the weekend of the Eucharistic Congress held Oct. 20-22 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y.  In spite of the wet, chilly weather roughly 8,500 people flocked to the holy grounds, once the 17th century Mohawk village of Ossernenon, where three of the eight Jesuit missionaries, today known as the North American Martyrs, gave their lives while spreading the Gospel to Native American peoples. 

Love for the Eucharist was remarkably apparent throughout the 40-hour weekend as 17 bishops, 200 priests, nearly 100 deacons and thousands of pilgrims attended Mass, Adoration and Confession, walked in processions, sang beautiful hymns of praise, and listened to 12 engaging talks all in honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Scarcely a talk ended without referencing one or more of the lives of the heroic martyrs. 

Jesuit missionary and martyr Father Isaac Jogues, who died at Ossernenon, once referred to his beloved Mohawks as a people “espoused to me by my blood.” St. Kateri Tekakwitha, “Lily of the Mohawks,” was born in the same community just a decade later. The agape love of the Jesuit martyrs for the native people and their passion and love for Christ lives on and could be felt throughout the Eucharistic Revival weekend.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said that although he was in Rome at the Synod, he was extraordinarily close to all those at the Shrine in New York, because “that’s the power, that’s the magnetism of the Holy Eucharist.” 

“When we are at Mass we are close to Jesus – as close as we can be this side of paradise – we are close to our family and friends, we are close to those who have gone before us, we are close to the Communion of Saints reunited,” Cardinal Dolan said. 

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly offered a keynote presentation titled, “The Eucharistic Heart of a Father,” and explained how the Eucharist is essential to ending the anxiety plaguing our young people and the crisis of fatherhood. “Men, particularly husbands and fathers,” he said, “must find our mission in Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.”  

“The greatest philosophers all try to save the world from foolishness by giving us their minds,” said keynote speaker Peter Kreeft, renowned professor of philosophy at Boston College, “but Christ saved us from sin, death and hell by giving us his body – both on the Cross and in the Eucharist. Christ said, ‘I am the truth.’ When we receive the Eucharist we eat the Truth, we eat God,” Kreeft said, reminding us of St. Theresa’s words: “Everything is a grace except for the Eucharist – it is he himself.”

Speaking of “the motive of the martyrs,” in her keynote presentation, “Eucharistic Intimacy: Letting Love Conquer Your Heart,” Sister of Life Mary Grace Langrell, Diocese of Bridgeport, asked, “What was going on in their hearts that made them so brave?”

She answered, quoting John Paul II: “‘Saints are not those who have conquered the world, saints are those that let Christ conquer their hearts.’ The same Jesus that conquered these martyrs comes to you and me,” she said resolutely. “Eucharistic intimacy is not reserved for a few lucky blessed ones. It’s the original plan of God’s goal for your life.”

“They say you are what you eat,” said Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Diocese of Albany in his closing homily. “If we believe that we receive the precious body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus then we know that that eternal food transforms us and makes us into what we consume.” 

The martyrs and saints teach us that no death, no illness, no cross that we carry can defeat us. All it takes is trust – faith the size of a mustard seed – a small host, where God’s heart is fully present, to raise the leaven in our own hearts. 

Pope St. John Paul II put it this way: “In that little Host is the solution to all the problems of the world.”

The story of the martyrs may be read at www.ourladyofmartyrsshrine.org/story- of-the-martyrs. 

Anna M. Githens, correspondent and columnist with The Catholic Spirit, shares some takeaways from her attendance at the N.Y. Eucharistic Congress.