Eucharistic Congress Set

The Fourth African National Eucharistic Congress will address the challenges of finding ways to deepen the unity for which Jesus prayed during the Last Supper “that all may be one.” 

The event is scheduled Aug. 6-8 in Houston.

NAEC, which is held every five years, is an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ office on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers aimed at encouraging a deeper faith in the Blessed Sacrament and a fresh realization of its centrality in the Christian life and mission of the Catholic Church. 

“We are all brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Deacon Alfred Adams, director of the Office of Black Catholics for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. “Through the body and blood of Jesus, you have to realize we have a connection whether we agree or disagree.”

 During the congress, attendees will look at the following issues: how the church in the United States can better respond and encounter African Americans “who live on the peripheries in the spirit of the new evangelization; culture diversity in the church; advancing outreach to African Catholics in the United States on leadership recruitment and development at the parish/diocesan level; and creating an episcopal encounter with young adults.”

 The congress will take a reflecting look at documents such as the USCCB’s November Statement “Call for Solidarity with Africa” as well as the USCCB’s pastoral letter, “The Enduring Call to Love.”

According to the USCCB, the United States is experiencing profound demographic shifts. 

The USCCB highlighted statistics that according to the Applied Research Center for the Apostolate (CARA), since 1980 the African American Catholic population has grown by 238%. CARA also discovered that only 2.8% of Catholic worship sites report serving African American Catholics.

“Although the church has already taken key steps to make African American Catholics feel welcomed, there is still much work to do for us to be truly effective at instilling in African American Catholics a sense of belonging,” states the USCCB.

Deacon Adams said the Eucharist is a tangible means by which Christ shares himself with us body, blood, soul and divinity and nourishes us to share that love with others.

“There is sacredness to our journey together,” said Deacon Adams.