Watch the Eucharistic Congress Mass LIVE
CHARLOTTE — Plans for a large diocesan Eucharistic Congress in September have been canceled and Catholics are being encouraged to celebrate our devotion to the Eucharist locally in parishes instead, Bishop Peter Jugis has announced.
The 16th annual Eucharistic Congress had been scheduled for Sept. 11-12 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The annual event usually attracts 10,000-15,000 people, and it features a spectacular Eucharistic procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte, educational programs for all ages, confessions, and a closing Mass offered by the bishop.
However, after consulting with the Eucharistic Congress planning committee, Bishop Jugis has decided to cancel this year’s gathering “due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, the very involved preparations for the Congress, and out of an abundance of care for our participating parishioners, planners, speakers, workers and visitors,” he wrote in a July 6 letter to priests.
“I ask you to set aside those same dates … for each parish to celebrate in a special way our love for the Most Holy Eucharist,” he encouraged pastors, as a way to still hold the annual event “throughout the diocese.”
The bishop will celebrate a special Votive Mass of the Most Holy Eucharist at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Because of extremely limited seating in the cathedral, the people of the diocese are encouraged to watch the livestream of the Mass on the Diocese of Charlotte's YouTube channel. (Click on the image above.)
“This diocesan-wide effort to accent the Holy Eucharist is especially appropriate this year, since our parishioners have faced very serious challenges to their ability to receive Holy Communion during the pandemic,” the bishop noted.
Read the letter from Bishop Peter Jugis
The theme for the 2020 event is “Be Holy,” taken from 1 Peter 1:16. This year’s holy card image (at right), chosen by Bishop Jugis, is a depiction of the Holy Family by the 17th-century Spanish painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
“The Holy Family is a model for our families and for each individually of our vocation to holiness in Christ,” the bishop said.
Prayers and more resources for families and parishes to celebrate the Eucharistic Congress locally are posted online at www.goeucharist.com.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor