TACOMA — About 200 people gathered for prayer, worship and camaraderie July 20 at the Local Eucharistic Congress. The one-day event at St. Charles Borromeo Parish was designed to mirror the National Eucharistic Congress, which drew more than 50,000 Catholics to Indianapolis July 17-21.
“What’s really exciting is that people came from all over the archdiocese,” said Kimberly Abadir, the archdiocese’s director of youth ministry services, who organized the event.
The local congress included a talk by Tom East on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and how Jesus is always with us. East, a member of St. Leo the Great Parish in Tacoma who has worked in church ministry for more than 40 years, is serving as a parish family liaison for Partners in the Gospel.
The congress also included adoration with praise and worship music led by Daniel Oberreuter, lead singer of The Thirsting.
The 90-degree weather couldn’t stop a Eucharistic procession around the parish campus. Father Dwight Lewis carried the monstrance, escorted by members of St. Charles’ Knights of Columbus who carried a canopy overhead.
The day concluded with Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and concelebrated by Father Michael Radermacher, pastor of St. Charles.
While the event drew people of all ages, Abadir said, “it was beautiful to see our young people engaged and connected in this way with the larger church.”
Here are more photos from the day: