Posted on 06/06/2005 11:52:39 AM PDT by amdgmary
The 10th Eucharistic Congress in Atlanta drew about 25,000 believers Saturday, including two from Lawrenceville who arrived just a little late.
Sandra Rojas and Refugio Gallegas had missed their bus at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Lawrenceville.
They had to make it on their own to the Georgia International Convention Center near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, asking for directions along the way.
Both said the chance to mingle with a rainbow of fellow Catholics was worth the effort.
"The best part is to see different races coming together for the one same God," Gallegas said.
Catholics heading to the Eucharistic Congress were attending the first such event since the death of Pope John Paul II and the installation of his replacement, Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory has said he was delighted with the election of Benedict, whom he knows personally.
Rojas said, "The new pope is a continuation of a single stream of messengers from God."
An outreach effort
The celebration was started in 1996 by John Donoghue, then archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, a province that covers North Georgia. At the time, Donoghue was emphasizing the potential for greater spiritual renewal through the basic practices of faith.
The outreach came at a difficult time for the Catholic community in North Georgia. A previous archbishop, Eugene Marino, had resigned in 1990 over an affair with a woman. Two years later, Marino's successor, Archbishop James Lyke, died.
Yet the number of Catholics was rising sharply in North Georgia, nearly doubling in the 1990s to 311,000. Today, nearly 370,000 Catholics reside in the area, according to the archdiocese. In several metro counties, Catholics are second in number only to Southern Baptists.
Saturday's event was a festival of music for young people, inspiring speeches for adults and mementos on sale to all. Hot items this year were posters of Pope John Paul II at $10 each and T-shirts for $8 emblazoned with this year's festival logo.
By focusing the congress on the Eucharist, Donoghue sounded a chord that runs deep in the religion. Eucharist is an ecclesiastical term for Holy Communion, a re-enactment of the last meal of Jesus Christ. Catholic church teachings say the Communion bread and wine are the actual body and blood of Christ. Protestant churches teach the bread and wine are symbolic.
Gregory decided to continue the Eucharistic Congress after his installation in January as Atlanta's sixth archbishop. Gregory's installation was held at the same convention center that hosted the Eucharistic Congress.
The program's outreach continues with a general program and four tracks tailored for specific audiences --- Hispanics, youth, kids and young adults. Speakers highlighting the main event include Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza and former owner of the Detroit Tigers baseball franchise; Jeff Cavins, a former host of the "Morning Air" program on Starboard Radio Network; and the parents and brother of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman in Florida who was the subject of a protracted battle over the removal of her feeding tube that led to her death.
Growing crowds
Every year the congress has attracted larger crowds and well-known speakers. This year's program had roots in past events.
Study guides to the movie "The Passion of Christ" were among the items for sale last year, and two years ago the actor who portrayed Jesus Christ in the movie spoke to the crowd.
On Saturday actor Jim Caviezel said that he was not always faithful to his Catholic upbringing until the Virgin Mary guided him back.
He said that while attached to the cross, he realized firsthand the extent of pain Jesus endured.
Bob Schindler, Schaivo's father, said, "the only thing that got us through it was our faith. This whole drama, rather than driving us away from God, brought us closer."
Bobby Schindler, Schaivo's brother, said that his return to being a devout Catholic was inspired by his sister's struggle and by seeing an interview with Caviezel who displayed "unwavering faith. I remember saying to myself, 'I wish I had faith like that.' "
The brother condemned what he called "a culture of death in this country over the last 30 years," citing legal abortion and what he said is the growing idea that quality of life should determine who lives and dies.
Schiavo's brother abruptly ended his speech with a comment that caused all conversation and shuffling to stop in the cavernous room filled with folding chairs and hundreds of listeners.
"The Holy Father [Pope John Paul II] was uniting himself with Terri in her suffering. Even before death, there was a special connection between Terri and the pope. . . . I'm sure they are in heaven today looking down on us."
Ping
I attended this and the healing mass the night before. I found both to be very rewarding.
Did these poor people ever find out where their daughter's ashes have been buried?
I hate to say this but I have a feeling Michael did not bury them at all. I think his motives were much more sinister.
No, they still do not know. They are still unable to pay their respects to their own daughter. They still have no where to go when they feel the need to be close to Terri. Michael is beyond evil.
And I wish I had the fraction of faith Bobby and his wonderful family have. It is humbling to witness such faith.
bttt
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