The eight Catholic dioceses of New York State are sponsoring an historic statewide Eucharistic Congress, which will be held at Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, New York from October 20-22, 2023.

The Eucharistic Congress is taking place as part of a national effort of the Catholic Church to reinvigorate devotion to the Eucharist on a national level. This National Eucharistic Revival, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, aims to restore understanding and fidelity to the great mystery of Jesus really and truly present in the Eucharist and to encourage all Catholics to make the Eucharist the source and summit of their faith.

The bishops of New York State have launched an easy-to-use website, https://nyseucharisticcongress.org, to provide comprehensive information about the Eucharistic Congress and allow people to register.

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, Bishop of the Diocese of Albany and one of the chairs of the New York State Eucharistic Congress, said, “We look forward to welcoming upwards of 10,000 people to the Eucharistic Congress, who want to draw closer to Jesus and share in this historic three-day event. Our Congress will feature Mass on Saturday celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, great speakers, opportunities for prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and time to socialize. It will be a wonderful time to renew our faith in Jesus, and share that faith with others.”

The location of the Eucharistic Congress, the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, is the site of the 17th-century martyrdoms of Jesuit missionaries Saints Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil, and Jean Lalande, and of the birth of the first native American saint, St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Jogues is famous for his love for the Mass and Tekakwitha for her love for Eucharistic adoration.

The Shrine’s Coliseum, built in 1931 in response to the canonization of martyred Jesuit missionaries, is the largest Church building in the United States, holding up to 10,000 worshippers.

The Congress’ website will be updated regularly to provide information on the complete schedule of events, the speakers who will captivate and inspire the crowd, religious services that will take place, and nearby places to stay. It will also allow individuals, families, groups, and parishes to register as well as give them the opportunity to volunteer during this historic three-day event.