Young adults feel called to National Eucharistic Congress

The National Eucharistic Congress drew a cross section of Americans to Indianapolis to pray, listen and experience the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. From Buffalo came a small group of young adults with open hearts and hungry souls seemingly guided by the Holy Spirit. The pilgrimage strengthened them as they returned home as eucharistic missionaries.  

“I know this is a once in a lifetime deal. Eighty-three years was the last time we came together as a country for this Eucharistic Congress,” said Paco Quebral, 30, who came with his parents and siblings. “I want to bring some healing in the midst of all the hurt that we felt here in the diocese. We need some form of therapy. I truly believe that this is the therapy that so many people can use right now.”

Turning the pilgrimage into a family event did influence Julia Quebral’s decision to join her brothers and parents. “I would say the Eucharist has always been the heart of our family – going to Mass. Our faith has really been a strong part of our family,” the 27 year old teacher said.

Others took the invitation to come as an invitation from God.

“God was calling me to go,” said Gina Carollo, 20. “It was a last minute thing where I got a text message from Denise (York, Faith Formation director at St. Gabriel Parish in Elma), and I was like, ‘Yes, I’m going to go, because this is going to be an amazing opportunity to spend time with Jesus Christ and the Lord and all these people.”

Greg James received a text from friend and seminarian Andrew Erdman with the invite.

“It was a text out of the blue. ‘Do you want to go to the National Eucharistic Congress? The diocese will pay for you,’” James recalled. “First I asked, ‘What are the downsides?’ He said, ‘There aren’t any. Just come worship our Lord.’ Yes! How could I say no to that? How could I say no to worshiping our Lord, getting more of the Eucharist, falling deeper in love with Jesus through the Eucharist with so many other people at the same time?”

James, 21, joined Erdman and fellow seminarians Lorenzo Quebral and Joseph Graham from St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville, and Luca LaNasa who will enter his propaedeutic, or introductory, year in seminary this fall.

“I felt God was calling me,” said LaNasa, 19. “At first it was my mom who set it up for me. I was like, that’s fine. We can go. After experiencing the first day, I was like, Man, I think God really wanted me here. I think it’s important to be here and enjoy the pilgrimage and set my heart up and prepare my soul for the Eucharist for years to come, because I’ll be joining the seminary in August. I think it’s definitely important to be here and let God plan everything out.”

What makes young people stay close to their faith?

“There are two different sides to it,” said James. “I’m very involved in my parish community where it’s still on fire and still alive. We’re constantly sharing our faith and building each other up. Then you go out into the rest of the world and it’s kind of desolate and you’re fighting through at times, but you still strive to radiate Christ to them in unique ways for the community, almost an apostate that you’re a part of.”

“I think there’s been so much fear within the Catholic circles because there was the disillusioned generation,” added Julia Quebral. “It was so hard to break through to them. The current generation of young people, I think they’re kind of nothing. That’s a strong opportunity for us – Father Sean Paul (Fleming, director of Worship for the Diocese of Buffalo) called us missionaries – so, there is so much potential there. As a high school teacher, I can see the kids feel a lot of apathy and there is potential.”

James agrees.

“Our youngest generations are really searching for love these days. And they often are finding it in these unfortunate places, these unfortunate communities, whereas our goal is to show love to them. There is no greater love than the love of Christ. It says within Scripture. Just show them there is a love that never fails, that never ends, that never betrays us. There is nothing more powerful than that,” he said.

Bishop Robert Barron said in his homily on Saturday night, “Don’t put your light under a bushel basket.” How do these young adults shine their light in a world where nearly half of young people do not rank religion as being very important to them?

James wears a cross as a sign of his faith. It’s become a conversation piece when he interacts with others.

“I wear it most days because it’s a powerful yet small testament. I don’t think it’s too ostentatious to wear a cross, and it’s a great testament to faith,” he said. “It’s a piece for questions. People can ask, ‘Hey, why do you wear that?’ It plants a seed.”

“I think the most important thing is having a strong relationship with Jesus,” said Julia Quebral. “You start with foundation – going to Mass as often as possible, having a strong prayer life, not even to the end of being able to evangelize. You have to trust and know the Holy Spirit will work through you even if it takes years, decades.”

During the five-day event, July 17-21, participants heard from nationally known speakers at large-group Revival sessions and smaller breakout sessions. As well as adoration and liturgies with Bishops and cardinals from across the country.

What are their favorite experiences?

“Mass is really awesome,” said LaNasa. “Having 50,000 people around us that have the same mindset as us, that we need Jesus, is just really awesome. Being able to go into the breakout rooms and people are rejoicing. They’re enjoying the music. They’re putting their hands up. They’re feeling the Spirit. It’s really beautiful.”

“My favorite parts have been hearing the silence that flows through the space,” said James. “It’s rare to have such silence with 50,000 people gathered together. It’s within silence that you can hear the Lord’s voice most clearly. I think it’s powerful entering into that silence with 50,000 and seeing how the Lord is working through each of them in such incredible ways.”

“Going to the (outdoor eucharistic) procession is like a metaphor for our life,” explained Julia Quebral. “We’re walking with all these different Catholics, but we’re in the world. We’re separate from the world, but we’re also part of the world walking with them and ultimately to our destination, which is adoration.”

“Sister Josephine Garrett’s talk (on spiritual healing) really resonated with me, and also Father Leo Patalinghug’s talk (on theology of food),” Paco Quebral said. “We look for the wrong things a lot. We need to celebrate what we practice and bring joy to it.”