On the final morning of the National Eucharistic Congress, Sunday, July 21, Chris Stefanick said Christianity is a love story that needs to be told over and over. (Photo by Colleen Jurkiewicz)
The theme for the final day of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress was “to the ends of the earth.”
But the first speaker of the morning revival session wasn’t satisfied with bringing Jesus to the ends of the earth. He wanted to go a little farther.
Col. Mike Hopkins is a retiree of the US Space Force, having flown to space twice for a total of 333 days orbiting the earth. In December 2012, Col. Hopkins carried the Eucharist with him to space in a pyx in the pocket of his spacesuit.
“You can’t imagine what it’s like knowing that no matter what happened over the next nine minutes, when that rocket went and pulled me into space, accelerated me to 17,000 miles an hour, that no matter what happened, Jesus Christ is with me,” said Col. Hopkins.
Col. Hopkins’ acknowledged that his “journey to that transforming moment on the launchpad did not always include the peace and joy of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.”
When he was first selected as an astronaut in 2009, he was not Catholic. He grew up Christian but did not practice his faith. Despite success both professionally and personally, he felt empty — not “spiritually ready” for the risk of going into space as he prepared for six months living in the International Space Station.
The answer, he told the crowd of more than 50,000 attendees at Lucas Oil Stadium, had been staring him in the face for a while. His wife, Julie, was Catholic, and their children had been baptized. But he had never “walked through the door,” so to speak, of that invitation to faith.
He was confirmed in the Catholic Church in December 2012 and received his first Holy Communion. “At that moment, my life changed forever,” he said. “That change is why I’m standing in front of you today, the final day of the National Eucharistic Congress, a day with the theme ‘To the ends of the earth.’ I’m here today as a witness to tell you that God is not just inviting us to the ends of the earth.”
Col. Hopkins’ words were followed by the morning’s keynote address, delivered by Chris Stefanick, the founder of Real Life Catholic.
Stefanick’s message to the National Eucharistic Congress pilgrims stressed that Christianity is a love story that needs to be told again and again.
“You and I are recipients of the best news that mankind has ever, could ever or will ever receive. The good news is that there is a God,” he said. “And why is this really good news? Because that shows us that life has purpose. It’s not a cosmic accident, and what’s even better news is that this God who gives life purpose is love.”
He opened his talk by sharing a story of a terrifying ordeal he endured some years ago when his then-young son, Joseph, went temporarily missing in the forest during a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains. The family ran through the woods screaming the boy’s name, and Stefanick waded into the waters of a pond, fearing Joseph had drowned. In that moment, he told God that he would trade everything in his life if only his son would be returned to him.
“The Father showed me the smallest glimpse of his love for me. When you and me wander into the forest of sin, he’s never said: ‘Go ahead, get lost.’ Every time he says: ‘Take everything, take my life, I’ll be your food in the Eucharist, I’ll be waiting for you in confession, I just want my son, I just want my daughter to come home,’” he said. “This is the love we’re reminded of in every Communion, when we come to Mass with our questions renewed. Do I matter? We hear God’s answer: ‘Body of Christ.’ Is anyone noticing me? ‘Body of Christ.’ Does my woundedness take away my worth? ‘Body of Christ.’ And what’s my net worth? ‘Body of Christ.’”
This answer, Stefanick said, “is the best news ever.”
So why don’t we talk about it more?
“Maybe we start to think that’s too simple. Or maybe it’s not relevant enough in 2024 — I mean this isn’t 2,000 years ago. Man, I got news for you,” he said. “People’s hearts haven’t changed and people’s hearts are faith. The Gospel has lost none of its potency. Two thousand years ago, people knew they needed a savior. Today, people know they need a savior. In fact, this is the only part of the Gospel everyone seems to agree on.”
Stefanick’s speech was followed by an address from Mother Adela Galindo, founder of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priests, and Lay Apostles of the Pierced Hearts. Mother Adela declared that it was now time for “the fruits of the (Eucharistic) Congress to become visible, because what is visible is credible.”
Pilgrims of the congress need to become Eucharistic missionaries in the model of Mary, she said.
“There is a profound communion between the Incarnation and the mystery of the Eucharist. Our Lady is a model of how to receive the Eucharist,” she said. “When the Lord gives himself to us in Holy Communion, we must respond. What must we respond?”
The crowd yelled, “Amen!”
“Just like Our Lady said: ‘Fiat!’” said Mother Adela. “So we can be like her — living tabernacles bearing the presence of Jesus across the mountains of the world and humanity.”
