Home Catechetical Corner Parishioners from all corners of Diocese of Wilmington praise Eucharistic Congress —...

Parishioners from all corners of Diocese of Wilmington praise Eucharistic Congress — Photo gallery

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The montsrance at Eucharistic adoration during the Eucharistic Cogress. Oct. 5. Dialog photo/Don Blake.
 

OCEAN CITY, Md. — More than 2,000 people descended on the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Md., on Oct. 5 for the Diocese of Wilmington’s Eucharistic Congress, and the reaction of a sampling of attendees was quite positive.

The gathering on the Lower Shore drew Catholics from all over Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They filled every corner of the convention center, listening to the keynote address by Archbishop-elect Richard Henning of Providence, R.I., taking in breakout sessions on a number of topics, and celebrating Mass with dozens of priests from the diocese.

Beth Petrusic, a member of St. Edmond Parish in Rehoboth Beach, was a volunteer at the event. She missed the keynote address while working at the registration table, which gave her an up-close look at the sheer number of people who were there.

“It was amazing,” Petrusic said. “I had no idea there was going to be that many attendees. It’s wonderful. Just to see the diversity of the group is tremendous.”

She mentioned the large number of Hispanic Catholics who were on hand. Archbishop-elect Henning delivered a few minutes of his address in Spanish. Amanda Garzon, from St. John’s-Holy Angels Parish in Newark, was inspired to learn more about the Eucharist.

“I liked the speaker, the father. He was really good,” she said.

Those in Ocean City covered many demographic criteria. Ruthie Coutinho, who belongs to St. John the Beloved Parish in Wilmington, brought her three children, ages 7, 6 and 5.

“They were supposed to be at three birthday parties and three soccer games, but what’s more important? The faith,” Coutinho said. “The only way that we can witness to that is if we actively show them that there are lots of people here that are living out their Catholic faith every day and that they need to listen and learn and grow in fellowship.”

There weren’t enough seats in the main exhibit hall for everyone who wanted to listen to Archbishop-elect Henning. Coutinho was one of the people who watched a livestream of the address from the performing arts center across the lobby from the exhibit hall. One of the advantages, she mentioned, was the comfortable seating.

Susan Shockley of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Georgetown drove to the congress “to find out some more about the Eucharist and how to spread the word.” She liked how Archbishop-elect Henning, who taught Scripture in seminary for nearly two decades, took people from Genesis through the Bible to talk about the importance of the Eucharist.

A fellow attendee agreed.

“I thought it was fantastic,” said Linda Haney, who is a member of St. Christopher’s Parish in Kent Island, Md. “He’s a wonderful speaker. We don’t often hear Scripture broken down in that way.”

Marie Dash, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s on French Street in Wilmington, is a convert to Catholicism. She commented on the ability of the archbishop-elect to speak to everyday Catholics.

“I thought he was very good. He made some good points. He put it so that it related to everybody to understand what he was talking about,” she said.

“This is the very first congress I have ever attended, any type of Catholic conference. I wanted to learn more about the Catholic Church and understand more about the different aspects of the beliefs. That was my main reason for coming.”

Haney spent her lunch break on the steps of the convention center in warm, brilliant sunshine overlooking the Isle of Wight Bay. She was joined by fellow St. Christopher’s parishioner Marty Mitchell, the author of “The Capillaries of Christ: Understanding the Part You Play in His Body.” Mitchell said he had heard so much about the National Eucharistic Congress that was held in Indianapolis in July and wanted to be part of the local effort. He said he had been looking forward to celebrating Catholicism in the Diocese of Wilmington. There was much he wanted to accomplish over the course of the day.

“I really want to spend time with the Eucharist in adoration and in Mass and going to confession,” he said. “But also there’s one of the breakout sessions on evangelization is something that I’m very interested in, to learning and see how that’s all presented.”

Of course, the Eucharist was the main focus, and that wasn’t lost on the attendees.

“It’s my life. It’s my love,” Haney said.

“I always had a personal relationship with God through the Eucharist, through adoration and through Holy Mass,” Coutinho said. “I personally experienced a miracle through the holy Mass once. It just means everything to me.”

Added Petrusic: “The Eucharist is Christ. And that’s why I’m here, to celebrate Christ in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul and divinity.”

Shockley said the Eucharist is “what keeps me going.” She was hopeful the congress would help drive an increase in the number of Catholics who believe in the real presence.

“They said 30 percent of Catholics don’t believe it’s the real body and blood. Hopefully, this will get the word out.”