‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord’
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord’
CHARLOTTE — The faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to the 13th annual Eucharistic Congress – a free, two-day event celebrating our Catholic faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist Sept. 8-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
In what has become an annual gathering of the Church in western North Carolina, the Eucharistic Congress is expected to attract more than 15,000 people from around the state and the Southeast.
As Bishop Peter Jugis has announced this is a special Year of Mary in the diocese, this year’s Eucharistic Congress theme is “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” which are Mary’s words from the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel.
The congress will include Mass; a Eucharistic procession through uptown Charlotte; the sacrament of confession; speakers and programs geared especially for adults, children and college students; vendors offering Catholic merchandise and information; and more.
It will begin at 7 p.m. Friday with a welcome from Bishop Jugis in Hall A of the Convention Center. At 7:15 p.m. Byzantine rite vespers will be prayed. This will be followed by a Bible study at 8:15 p.m. by Father Jeffrey Kirby entitled: “With Our Lady in Spiritual Battle.”
Father Kirby is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Indian Land, S.C. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from Holy Cross University in Rome and a Master of Arts in philosophy from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He serves as an adjunct professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College and Pontifex University. He has written several books, including “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” and “Kingdom of Happiness: Living the Beatitudes in Everyday Life.”
After the Bible study, there will be an evening Eucharistic procession to St. Peter Church starting at 9 p.m., where Adoration will take place all night. There will also be a special College Night program for college students during which the G.K. ChesterTones will perform.
Saturday’s congress events kick off at 9:15 a.m. with a Eucharistic procession that follows a new route from St. Peter Church to the Charlotte Convention Center. A Holy Hour – featuring a homily by Monsignor Christopher Schreck, rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio – will immediately follow the procession at 10:15 a.m.
An English track, Spanish track, Vietnamese program, and youth and college student tracks will be offered throughout the day. Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass at the conclusion of the congress Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
More information online
At www.goeucharist.com: See the full schedule of events, read more about the featured speakers and activities, get parking information, and more.
Schedule
Friday, Sept. 8
7 p.m. Welcome, Prayer, Introductions – Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte Hall A
7:15 p.m. Byzantine Rite Vespers Hall A
8 p.m. Collection for expenses of the Eucharistic Congress
8:15 p.m. Bible Study “With Our Lady in Spiritual Battle” – Fr. Jeffrey Kirby Hall A
9 p.m. Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to St. Peter Church for Exposition, Adoration Hall B
9:15 p.m. Program for College Students and Young Adults Grand Ballroom
9:30 p.m. Nocturnal Eucharistic Adoration St. Peter Church
Saturday, Sept. 9
8 a.m. Priests’ Holy Hour of Adoration St. Peter Church
8 a.m. Youth Track Check-In between 8 and 11 a.m.
9:15 a.m. Outdoor Eucharistic Procession begins St. Peter Church
10:15 a.m. Holy Hour – Homilist: Rev. Msgr. Christopher Schreck, SSL, STD, PhD Hall A
Rector, Pontifical College Josephinum
11 a.m. Blessed Sacrament is transferred to the Chapel Hall B
11 a.m. Welcome / Collection Hall A
11:15 a.m. Announcements – Master of Ceremonies Hall A
11:30-4 p.m. Adoration, Confessions, Vendors Hall B
English Track – Hall A
12:30 p.m. Dr. Mario Enzler – “I Served a Saint – St. John Paul II”
1:30 p.m. Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, O.P. – “Forming Children as Disciples of Christ: Education in Virtue”
2:30 p.m. Anthony J. Digmann – “Introduction to Catholic Apologetics”
Hispanic Track – Hall C
12:30 p.m. Fr. Rafael Capó – “El Papel de Maria en la Evangelización”
1:30 p.m. Fr. José Luis Serrano – “El Mensaje de Maria a las Familias”
2:30 p.m. Fr. Julio Domínguez – “Holy Hour: Acto de Reparación a los Sagrados Corazones”
College and Young Adult Dialogue – Rooms 211/212 (Upper Level)
2:30-3:30 p.m. “In Imitation of Our Lady, Being a Servant Leader”
High School Track – Grand Ball Room (Upper Level)
12:15-3:30 p.m. Anthony J. Digmann – “Star Wars: A Catholic Perspective”
Dana Catherine – “Openness to God and His Will for our Lives”
Music – The G.K. ChesterTones (Kevin Heider, Eric Wilkes, James Rosenbloom and Kenneth Kohlhaas)
1:50-2:20 p.m. Adoration
Middle School Track (6th-8th Grade) – Room 213 (Upper Level) (pre-registration required)
12:15-3:30 p.m. Sr. Mary Thomas More Stepnowski, O.P., and the Hintemeyer Scholars of Belmont Abbey College – “To Jesus Through Mary”
2:30-3 p.m. Adoration
Children’s Track (K-5th Grade) – Room 217 (Upper Level) (pre-registration required)
12:15-3:30 p.m. Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tenn. – “Fatima: Our Lady, a Miraculous Sun, and Mercy”
1:30-1:45 p.m. Adoration
3:30 p.m. Cantate Domino Latin Choir Concert Hall A
4 p.m. Preparation for Holy Mass / Procession forms Hall B
4:15 p.m. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – Homilist: Bishop Peter J. Jugis Hall A
Opening program
Hall A – Friday, Sept. 8
7 p.m. Welcome, Prayer, Introductions by Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte
7:15 p.m. Byzantine Rite Daily Vespers
Led by the clergy and faithful of St. Basil the Great Catholic Mission in Charlotte. Post-Feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and commemoration of the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna.
8 p.m. Collection for expenses of the Eucharistic Congress
8:15 p.m. Bible Study: “With Our Lady in Spiritual Battle” with Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
Father Jeffrey Kirby is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C. He shepherds two parishes in north-central South Carolina. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from Holy Cross University in Rome and a Master of Arts in philosophy from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He serves as an adjunct professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College and has authored several books, including Lord, Teach Us to Pray (2014), 101 Surprising Facts about St. Peter’s and the Vatican (2015), The Life and Witness of St. Maria Goretti (2015), and Doors of Mercy: A Journey Through Salvation History (2016).
Father Kirby seeks to live and exercise his priestly ministry in such a way as to exemplify the positive role religion can play in society, as well as to highlight the mutual service that both Church and State can render to one another. In this effort, Father Kirby works to apply and teach the spiritual patrimony of the Catholic Church and the overall contribution of the human spirit to the human narrative. Visit Father Kirby’s website at www.frkirby.com.
9 p.m. Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to St. Peter Church for Adoration
9:30 p.m. Nocturnal Adoration at St. Peter Church, concluding at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9
College Night
Grand Ballroom – Friday, Sept. 8, 9:15 p.m.
With the G.K. ChesterTones (Kevin Heider, Eric Wilkes, James Rosenbloom and Kenneth Kohlhaas)
Holy Hour
Hall A – Saturday, Sept. 9, 10:15 a.m.
Homilist: Rev. Msgr. Christopher Schreck
‘My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord’
Ordained for the Diocese of Savannah in 1977, Msgr. Christopher Schreck has had a notable career in priestly formation and wide experience in seminary administration. Following his ordination, he served for five years as parochial vicar at St. James Parish in Savannah, Ga. He later served at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla., where he was associate professor, professor and academic dean. In 1993, he began teaching at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he was also vice rector for many years.
In 2007, Msgr. Schreck joined the faculty of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, as a professor of Sacred Scripture and executive director of the Institute for the Formation and Ministry of the Permanent Diaconate, the seminary’s distance learning program for permanent deacons. In 2012 he was named the 16th rector of the Josephinum, the only pontifical seminary in the Western Hemi-sphere.
English Track speaker line-up
English Track
Hall A – Saturday, Sept. 9
Dr. Mario Enzler: ‘I Served a Saint – St. John Paul II’: 12:30 p.m.
Dr. Mario Enzler is a former Swiss Guard who served Pope John Paul II for three years in the double capacity of soldier and conductor of the Swiss Guard Band. After finishing his time of service at the Vatican, he worked for 18 years in investment banking and corporate finance.
He then left the financial industry for a full-time work in Catholic education at the classical-curriculum academy he and his wife founded in 2008. He lives with his wife and their five children in New Hampshire, where he is headmaster at New England Classical Academy, a private, non-profit school in the Catholic tradition. Dr. Enzler is passionate in his love for Christ and His Church and can frequently be found sharing vignettes from his many personal encounters with the Holy Father during his time as a Swiss Guard.
St. John Paul II’s personal greatness, sanctity and deep devotion to Our Lady continue to inspire Dr. Enzler in his professional journey as well as in his efforts to form people of all faith backgrounds according to Truth, Beauty and Goodness and to lead them to the pursuit of Wisdom. When he is not in his office or with the students in a classroom teaching music or ancient Greek, he can often be found speaking at retreats and conferences where he shares about the role the Holy Father had in fostering his commitment to the New Evangelization and his love for the liturgy and helping shape him into a being a better man, executive and leader.
Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, O.P.: ‘Forming Children as Disciples of Christ: Education in Virtue’: 1:30 p.m.
Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, O.P., is from Nashville, Tenn. She converted to Catholicism and entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in 1982. In 1997, she and three other sisters founded the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Mich.
She has been involved in Catholic education for more than 30 years as both a teacher and administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Belmont University in Nashville and a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She serves as the principal of Spiritus Sanctus Academy in Ann Arbor.
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, under her direction as the primary author, have created Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue, is a Christian curriculum structured on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Anthony J. Digmann: ‘Introduction to Catholic Apologetics’": 2:30 p.m.
Anthony Digmann is a husband and father of a young family, and he has served professionally since 2006 as a Catholic high school theology teacher and parish religious education director. His education includes a Master of Arts in theology and a double major, Bachelor of Arts in religious sStudies and electronic media communications, with a minor in ethics.
He is the author of Sign of Contradiction: Contraception, Family Planning, & Catholicism (One More Soul, 2015) as well as articles for diocesan periodicals and the Chastity Project. He has appeared as a special guest on EWTN, Radio Maria and Iowa Catholic Radio.
He is also the founder and chief executive manager of Capture This Video Productions. His only sibling is a priest in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, and his father is a professed religious brother with Glenmary Home Missioners. He may be one of the few people in the world who can say, “I have a Father for a brother and a Brother for a father.”
Visit his web site at anthonydigmann.com.
