After Wednesday evening’s opening ceremonies for the National Eucharistic Congress, Thursday marked the first full day of events for the 50,000 attendees.

The day began with pilgrims making their way to Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium for the opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Dolan.

The arena, which is normally full of cheering football and basketball fans, was now packed with Catholics from all over the country celebrating the source and summit of our faith, the Most Holy Eucharist.

In his homily, Cardinal Dolan said recovering the centrality of Sunday Mass has to be the resolve of this Congress, saying, “as Pope Francis has repeated, no Eucharist, no Church.”