INDIANAPOLIS — Deanna Johnston had planned to arrive at the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) on Wednesday evening in time for the Four Corners Revival at Lucas Oil Stadium. However, when it was time to board her flight, she discovered that her itinerary to Indianapolis was canceled.
Johnston, a wife and a mother of five, serves the Diocese of Tyler as the director of family life at the St. Philip Institute. She ended up streaming the first night of the NEC from her computer in her hotel room. But even though she was far away from the action, she still felt God’s providence as he revealed himself to her in her silence.
“I think that was probably the first time I felt God saying ‘You’re exactly where I want you to be,’” she said.
“Had I proceeded to the Congress that day, I would have missed a lot of things that I was meant to hear at specific times. I definitely would have missed some talks if I hadn’t been sitting quietly at a chair and a table.”
With her children in Memphis and her husband back at home in Tyler, Texas, Johnston wasn’t sure what to expect as she made her way to Indianapolis for the NEC.
“I was thinking about my kids in Memphis and my husband in Tyler and I needed something to awaken that ache within and to have the time to reflect on it,” she said.
“It awakened that desire in me that I needed. I was at a point of exhaustion with a lot of things, in ministry, with the liturgy wars and the constant divide within the Church. The Lord provided me an opportunity to give me what I needed in resting in him.”
Johnston eventually made it to the NEC on Friday morning and immediately felt God working.
“Another clear moment for me where I felt God’s providence was when I arrived at the stadium for the evening session,” she said.
“I prayed to God to lead me to where he wanted me to be, and right that second I got a text from someone from the Diocese of Tyler that had an extra seat and was sitting right at ground level where I was walking.”
Like Johnston, tens of thousands of Catholics from all over the United States are attending the NEC, which runs through July 21. Many have had similar moments where they see God present in the Blessed Sacrament, in the small moments of encounters with others, and even in the quiet moments spent alone with Christ in their hearts.
“God is raising up a generation of saints, and this is just the beginning, not the end of the revival within the Church,” Johnston said.
Married couple Agnes and Sylvester Owolabi have contemplated how attending the conference brought them closer together.
“We want to carry these moments of revival in our hearts back to our home parish, and back to our children,” Agnes told BCM.
“When we receive the body and blood of Christ, it really transforms us. It changes the way we perceive things. It changes the way of our thinking. Being around each other and others has really caused us to see that and brought us even closer together.”
The Owolabis, originally from Nigeria, said they came to Indianapolis from Atlanta to pray for their children who have strayed from their faith. They came to the Congress for refreshment and encouragement as well.
“We never stop praying for them,” Sylvester said. “We say the Rosary for them every day.”
Jesse Enriquez of Bay City, Texas, has considered how he was encountering Jesus through other people during the early days of the NEC.
“The people here have really come to life. You can see it in their eyes that they are here for love, and are here for Jesus Christ,” he said.
“It feels different than walking down the street at home. When people look at you here, you can see Christ in them.”
Among other topics, the NEC has sparked a cultural debate within the U.S. Catholic Church on whether it’s appropriate to show emotion during worship, if the Congress is reverent enough, and if people are genuinely feeling the fruit of Christ at work.
The testimonies of attendees at the individual level suggest that he is, indeed.
Briana Jansky is a freelance writer, author, blogger, and host of the Geeks For Jesus podcast.
