Columbus Diocese Youth Discern in D.C. Sept. 11-12

The Knights of Columbus Councils in Central Ohio, along with the Office of Vocations, sponsored 28 high school youth to attend the second Eucharistic Congress, entitled Sacrifice of Enduring Love, in Washington D.C. Sept. 11-12 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The youth were encouraged to discern God’s call in their lives and this event allowed them to do that by speaking with sisters, brothers, and priests from all over the U.S. Many of the youth wrote essays about their faith and discernment of their vocation prior to the trip.

The youth stood out in a crowd as they distributed Columbus diocese seek holiness prayer cards and lanyards to the religious and visited with sisters, most in habits. The event, held every four years, was sponsored by the Council of Major Superior Women Religious (CMSWR).

“I thought sisters and brothers prayed all day,” said Bruce Tokar, St. Mary Magdalene parishioner. “But now I know that sisters and brothers do much more and they even played Ultimate Frisbee with us.”

The weekend centered around the Eucharist with the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Confession, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a Eucharistic procession outdoors, beautiful music from an the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia from Nashville and the CMSWR inter-congregational choir, and fireworks set to classical and religious music.

Archbishop Homilists

Mass homilists included His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. The Eucharistic Congress was televised on the Eternal Word TV Network.

“It was an amazing experience to be at Mass there,” said Layna Hess. “When I heard the sisters chanting I could see the joy in their life. I was so happy to be there with them.”

The celebration included a variety of Church leaders who spoke about the Eucharist, including His Eminence Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec, and His Eminence Edward O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore.

Knights of Columbus

Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight for the Knights of Columbus, spoke at the Congress. There are 1.78 million Knights of Columbus worldwide and the Knights had a large role in the liturgies during the Congress.

Procession with Juan Diego’s Tilma

Procession with the Tilma of Tepeyac Relic was followed by veneration of the tilma in the Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel. The half-inch square is the only know relic of Juan Diego’s tilma in the U.S. It is considered a miracle that this piece of the tilma has survived for five centuries.

Daughter of a Saint

Another highlight of the conference was the workshop by Laura Molla Pannuti, daughter of a saint. Laura is the daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla who was a devoted wife, mother, and a doctor in Magenta, Italy who died from a uterine tumor in 1962 after choosing to sacrifice her life to save her unborn baby daughter.

St. Gianna Molla was known for her generous love of neighbor and enjoyed the fullness of life as a lay missionary serving her family and her patients tirelessly. She was declared Blessed on April 24, 1994 by Pope John Paul II and canonized a saint on May 16, 2004.

“I had read a book with St. Gianna’s letters when I was picking a Confirmation saint,” said Maria Ritchey, St Joan of Arc parishioner. “I chose St. Gianna, so it was great to hear her daughter talk about her.”

The National Basilica with 95 Chapels

Another highlight for the youth was praying in many of the 95 chapels at the National Basilica. “After seeing the chapels with themes from all over the world, I can see how we are all linked, said M.J. Richardson, Our Lady of Lourdes parishioner. “As I prayed in Our Lady of Lourdes chapel, I began to understand how love links us all together.”

Visiting the Memorials in D.C.

While in the D.C. area, the youth toured the United States Capital building on Sept. 11th and visited the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam, Korean and World War II memorials.

The return trip to Columbus included a stop at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland for a tour by two Columbus seminarians, Nick Droll and Michael Hinterschied, who are studying for the diocesan priesthood. The group also visited the nearby shrine of the first native born American saint, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.