CHARLOTTE — The Eucharistic Congress, the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual “family reunion,” is less than 
four months away.
The 19th annual event will be held Sept. 8-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center, featuring educational talks in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, along with a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.
The 2023 theme is: “I am with you always,” which comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:20.
Bishop Jugis notes the integral connection between the love of Christ and the Eucharist, stating, “The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s great love for us, a love which He showed us by His sacrifice on the cross for our salvation. Christ is really present in the Holy Eucharist, and through the Eucharist He strengthens our charity.”
Bishop Jugis also personally selected the artwork for the Eucharistic Congress holy card to illustrate the theme for the event. “The Ascension of the Lord” by Girolamo Muziano is an altarpiece in the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, located in Rome. It is the principal church of the Oratorians, a religious order of priests founded by St. Philip Neri in 1561.
Muziano (1532-1592) was a prolific Italian painter who became the leading artist in Rome during the Counter-Reformation. He graduated from painting classical landscapes to grand Biblical figures in the style of Michelangelo, with attention to anatomical accuracy and dramatic proportion.
His fame grew, and even Michelangelo praised his work. Later in his career, Muziano served as superintendent of the works of the Vatican under Pope Gregory XIII.
This work, painted in 1575, depicts Jesus at His Ascension, with the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary looking up in wonder. With Our Lord’s peaceful face and hand outstretched in benediction, viewers can almost hear His parting words as He instructs the Apostles: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28-18-20).
— Spencer K.M. Brown
Get updates online
At www.goeucharist.com: Get information about the 2023 Eucharistic Congress, in English and Spanish, as plans are finalized
CHARLOTTE — The Eucharistic Procession, in which Bishop Peter Jugis carries a monstrance containing a consecrated host – the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – is a highlight of the two-day Eucharistic Congress.
The Eucharistic Procession journeys through uptown Charlotte to the Charlotte Convention Center, where the Eucharistic Congress is held.
"I haven't missed any years of Eucharistic Congress since it started in 2007," said Chris Ostrom, parishioner at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. "I love the community here. I'm a teacher at Saint Mark Catholic School where I teach 6th- and 8th-grade religion, and I'm the religion coordinator for school. It’s great to see some of our past priests here, and we have some of our former students who are now seminarians, so we see them too.
"We have a routine each year: We come on Friday night, we go out to dinner, and then we come down here and listen to the speaker. Then, we do a Holy Hour of Adoration on Saturday morning, join the procession, and stay until the closing Mass. It’s just like a Catholic reunion, meeting friends from other parishes. Our parish is the second largest in the diocese, so sometimes we don't see people because they go to different Masses, but we see them here."
— Photos by James Sarkis, Patrick Schneider Photography, Amy Burger and Liz Chandler
