2029 Eucharistic Congress to build on renewal, deepen encounter with Christ

The National Eucharistic Congress is returning to Indianapolis in 2029, offering an opportunity to encounter the Lord and be transformed by Him, its chairman recently wrote.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens, chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., announced last month that Indianapolis would again host the Congress, as Zeale News previously reported. The 2024 gathering, held at Lucas Oil Stadium, was the first in more than 80 years and drew more than 300,000 people over five days.

“We are not returning simply to repeat 2024, but to build upon what God has begun,” Bishop Cozzens wrote.

Reflecting on the 2024 Congress, Bishop Cozzens wrote, “God was not outdone in generosity and did more than I could have asked or imagined.”

He pointed to signs of renewed Eucharistic faith across the nation, including deeper reverence at Mass, new adoration chapels, and growth in parish evangelization. 

The annual National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, which have been spearheaded by Catholic young adults traveling on routes through many states, have also brought that faith into cities and towns. 

“Through our National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, we took Jesus into our streets, where thousands publicly witness to their faith,” Bishop Cozzens wrote. “These are not mere statistics; they are visible proof that the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of his people.”

To build on that renewal, Bishop Cozzens hopes future congresses will help generations of Catholics deepen their faith.

“With the support of my brother bishops, we hope the Congress becomes a regular moment of revival every four years, that generations of American Catholics can look forward to, prepare for, and carry into the world,” he wrote.

The 2029 Congress will also help prepare the U.S. Church for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031 and the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s redemption in 2033. Bishop Cozzens described the anniversaries as opportunities for evangelization.

At the heart of those preparations, he emphasized, is coming together to worship and asking the Lord to strengthen Catholics for that mission.

“A Congress is an act of worship — we encounter the living God in the Eucharist, where we surrender our lives more to him through repentance, and where we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us for his mission,” he wrote. “The Lord has already shown us what happens when we place the Eucharist at the center and entrust the work to his hands. Let us continue on this journey to 2029 with expectant hearts, trusting that he who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.”