Dear friends in Christ, 

“Jesus Christ will be there. Will You?” What a powerful question. When I read this on the National Eucharistic Congress page, I heard myself say out loud; yes I will. And now, I cannot wait until July 2024! Will you be joining Fr. Dan and I on this once-in-a-lifetime experience? 

Currently our parish has over 40 people registered to attend the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July 17-21, 2024. The max capacity on our bus is 50 people, so you really do need to act fast. While the Archdiocese may have extended their deadline to register, St. Leonard as a parish has not. Our deadline to register is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. If you choose to wait until December 10, your alternative option is joining the bus leaving from Mary, Mother of The Church Pastoral Center (formally known as the Cousins Center). 

I have enjoyed chatting with many people over the last few weeks trying to educate others on why you should join us on this pilgrimage. Fr. Dan even had a talk about pilgrimages for our parishioners a few weeks ago. That talk can be accessed here. 

As we get further along in the planning process, we will have more information to share with others. Some things are still in the works, but I thought it might be able to share a bit more about this amazing opportunity. Here are some key points for you: 

• This will be the Catholic event of our generation; over 80,000 pilgrims are expected to attend. The main breakout sessions will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium right in the heart of Downtown Indy. 
• Our parish has partnered up with the Archdiocese travel plans in that our package we have to over includes most of what you will need to travel: Bus transportation, hotel, congress pass for all five days.
• We will be leaving early in the morning on July 17 from St. Leonard. Fr. Dan will be on the bus with us and available throughout our journey for the spiritual needs of our parishioners. We will be checking into our hotel and then heading to the opening portion of the congress that same night. We will be returning around dinnertime on July 21.
• We are staying at a Marriot Hotel. With traffic, it is expected to be about a 20-minute bus ride from our hotel to the stadium and vice-versa. The bus will do the transportation for us daily. 
• While meals are not included, we do have in the works an opportunity to pre-purchase lunch each day of the congress so that we can help alleviate times in lines etc. 
• There are a TON of food options in the area if you do not mind walking or waiting in line. Attached to the stadium by sky-walk is a mall food court, restaurants, fast food, etc. 
• Yes, there is walking involved. Especially on Saturday, if you choose to participate in the city-wide Eucharistic procession- though this is not mandatory. If you wish to take a walker, wheelchair, etc. please let me know ahead of time so we can accommodate our space for those devices. 
• This is not a vacation! Though we plan to make wonderful memories, share stories and laughter- this is a pilgrimage. We will not have time for sightseeing. Expect long days (e.g. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.). With that said, however, we will do the best we can to make this the most enjoyable experience you can have.
• We do plan to host a St. Leonard happy hour! Yay! Details to follow.
  
• Yes, we do have a bathroom on the bus

I truly am looking forward to this opportunity to prayerfully ask the Lord to revive my heart. I am hopeful for an amazing experience for each of us and I am here to help you along the way. Please contact me in the parish office should you have any questions. You can use this link to register for the Congress by clicking the Register Now (orange colored box) and then clicking to Make a Deposit ($300): click here.

Prayefully yours, 

Michelle Kreuser

Director of Stewardship & Financial Support