With talks from renowned speakers, Mass, Confession, the Rosary, adoration, musical performances – including a concert by Matt Maher, and more, the day was packed with opportunities to encounter the Lord.

Expectations were high after last summer’s National Eucharistic Congress, which inspired this event. For many, realizing they were not alone in their faith is what made the Eucharistic Encounter deeply impactful.

“I think it’s important, in particular, for young adults to see that there’s a vibrant community of people that are on fire for the faith and have a zeal for the faith,” shared Margaret Hynes, parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church in Tampa. “Not just the youth – a lot of older folks are here as well. It’s important to incorporate the intermingling of the two groups. Community is the biggest, most important part of it.”

“In this current world, sometimes you feel alone,” said Johnny Rameau, parishioner at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Lakewood Ranch. 

“Just to be next to thousands of other followers of Jesus and Catholicism, it really just makes you feel more connected to God and your faith. You don’t feel alone because of that.”

Attendees were struck not only by the power of community and engaging talks, but the sacraments as well, as they celebrated Mass together.

“Seeing everyone stand up for blessing with the incense and raising their prayers up was really impactful – just seeing the amount of people here praying and worshipping God,” said Beatriz Eade, parishioner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa.  

“There was this one moment in Mass where everybody was making the sign of the cross in unison at the same time. That was very beautiful,” added her friend Selena Giordano, parishioner at St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa.

Those serving at Mass were deeply moved as well. Seminarian Vincent Washburn reflected on his experience on stage.

“Just to see that many people praying together and look out and see faces that I knew was just amazing. It filled my heart with so much joy,” he shared. “To see the whole community of our diocese come together – these are the people I’m doing this for. These are the people I’m laying my life down for.”

The focus remained on the Eucharist throughout the event, reminding all present of how vital it is in our Catholic faith.

“The Eucharist is the most important part of our faith,” said Ashley Jackson Hynes. “Once we’re baptized, we become tabernacles in a way. When we receive Jesus, that becomes even more tangible because we literally receive Him into our bodies. We are a safe place for Him. I think it’s really important for us to be a place where God can reside – and that He trusts us so much that He wants to reside literally in our bodies. That’s amazing.”

Liana, who attended with a group of friends from the University of Tampa, shared how the Eucharist is shaping her faith even before she becomes Catholic.

“I actually start OCIA in October. I can’t actually accept [the Eucharist] yet, but it’s very important,” shared Liana Demirs. “Once I’m in, I’ll be able to,” she added excitedly.

Some contemplated the sacramental importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church, while others reflected on the profound expression of love through it.

“When I think about the Eucharist, I think about how God loves us so much that he humbled himself into a tiny little wafer so that he could be in deeper intimacy with us,” reflected Margaret Hynes. “If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”

The day concluded with a holy hour of adoration led by Bishop David Toups from the Diocese of Beaumont, followed by a concert from Matt Maher. During the holy hour, periods of silence and music were punctuated by soft sobs as people were overcome with emotion, all eyes fixed upon the Eucharist. As the monstrance was processed throughout the arena, many reached out their hands, longing to simply be as close to Jesus as possible.

“Serving in adoration was a very powerful experience mainly because I was serving not for a particular small group of people, but for this diocese,” shared seminarian Caleb Malec. “Being surrounded by so many people was kind of overwhelming with the amount of prayers and grace that was moving.”

The holy hour concluded with benediction and a final hymn before the arena erupted with music and cheers for the final concert. The crowd was full of so much energy and enthusiasm that it brought Matt Maher back to the stage for an encore.

Participants were uniquely impacted by the various aspects of the day, depending on their personal experience, yet all shared the same motivation: to carry their experiences beyond the arena and remain united in faith.

“Something to take away from this is the fact that we’re not alone, that we’re on this journey together,” shared Malec. “This event was the perfect sign of that. We’re not in it alone. We need each other, and we have each other.”

Seminarian Spencer Grant emphasized how encountering the Lord offers all an opportunity to extend the experience beyond the walls of the arena and the people within it. 

“It’s a good time for us to be with the Lord, to be filled with his grace, so that we can go out and transform the world.”  

To view photos from the Eucharistic Encounter, click the arrows on the photos below.

To view the recording of the Eucharistic Encounter, click here.

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