Something stirred in the hearts of Catholics across the country during the summer of 2024. In Indianapolis, more than 50,000 faithful gathered for the National Eucharistic Congress — praying, singing, processing through city streets and kneeling together in awe before the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. What many described was not simply a large conference, but a moment of renewal — a powerful reminder of who Catholics are and whom they worship.

Participants returned home changed, carrying with them a renewed love for the Eucharist and a clearer sense that an encounter with Christ at the altar is meant to shape daily life and mission. That same spirit now returns home to Northeast Florida.

On March 6–7, Catholics across the Diocese of St. Augustine are invited to take part in the Eucharistic Encounter: Meeting, Celebrating, Serving, a two-day diocesan gathering in Gainesville and Jacksonville. The event marks the first local Eucharistic celebration since the national congress — and the first under its new name — bringing the fruits of the national revival back to parishes and communities close to home.

For more than a decade, from 2012 to 2023, the diocese hosted Eucharistic Congresses that gathered clergy, religious and laity for prayer, formation and mission. Those celebrations paused in 2024 so Catholics could unite as a Church across the United States. Now, the Eucharistic Encounter resumes with renewed purpose — not to replicate Indianapolis, but to build on it, drawing what was experienced nationally into parish life, families and everyday discipleship.

So, what is a Eucharistic Congress — or Encounter — exactly?

At its heart, it is a gathering of the Church centered on the Eucharist: worship, teaching, witness and sending. It is a time to encounter Jesus Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, to deepen understanding of the gift of the Eucharist, and to be renewed for mission. Rooted in Scripture — from the Bread of Life discourse in John’s Gospel to the Last Supper accounts and the early Church’s “breaking of the bread” — the Eucharist stands at the center of Christian life.

As the Church teaches, it is the “source and summit of the Christian life,” where Christ gives himself fully to his people and sends them forth to love and serve others.

That rhythm — encounter, celebration and mission — shaped the experience of the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress and now shapes the theme of the 2026 diocesan gathering.

The Diocese of St. Augustine’s Eucharistic Encounter will include daily Mass celebrated by Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, with priests from across the diocese present and participating throughout both days. Opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration and Benediction, catechesis, and a Eucharistic procession complete with parish, ministry and lay apostolate banners — visible signs of a Church united in faith and sent forth in mission.

This year’s speakers echo the call heard so clearly in Indianapolis: Eucharistic faith is not meant to be kept to oneself, but lived, shared and carried outward.

Julianne Stanz, a nationally known author and evangelist, will serve as keynote speaker at both locations. Known for her warm storytelling and practical approach to missionary discipleship, Stanz brings decades of experience helping Catholics rediscover how a living relationship with Jesus fuels everyday faith. Her message speaks directly to families, parish leaders and all who long to reconnect belief with daily life.

Father Stephen Gadberry, a priest of the Diocese of Little Rock and Word on Fire contributor, will challenge participants to see evangelization not as a program, but as a personal call rooted in baptism. Drawing from his own journey — including military service and years of formation in Rome — Father Gadberry emphasizes that God uses both strengths and weaknesses to send disciples into the world with confidence and joy.

For Spanish-speaking participants, Dr. Gerardo Salázar will offer formation rooted in Scripture and the witness of the saints, inviting Catholics to see the Eucharist as “the highway to heaven.” Through reflections on saints such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Carlo Acutis, Salázar will highlight how a Eucharistic life transforms hearts and fuels mission across cultures and generations.

At the national congress, speakers repeatedly emphasized a simple truth: an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist naturally leads outward — to reconciliation, service, evangelization and renewed hope. A Eucharistic people, they reminded participants, are always a missionary people.

The Diocese of St. Augustine’s 2026 Eucharistic Encounter is an invitation to rediscover that truth close to home.

Whether attending for one day or both, participants are invited to come not as spectators, but as pilgrims — ready to meet Christ, celebrate the gift of his presence, and be sent to serve in parishes, neighborhoods and families.

The fire lit in Indianapolis now seeks new hearts to carry it forward. This March, the invitation is clear: come and encounter the Lord and let him renew his Church — one life at a time.

For more information, email Richard.hay@sacredheartcatholicchurch.org or emcgeever@dosafl.com.

Friday, March 6 — Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 10900 SW 24th Ave., Gainesville

• 4 p.m. Doors open. Sacrament of Reconciliation available.
• 5:30 p.m. Mass with Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier as the principal celebrant.
• Adoration available in the chapel.
• 6:45 p.m. Keynote presentation with Julianne Stanz in the church.
• 8:30 p.m. Spanish Track with Dr. Gerardo Salazar in the parish hall; English Track with Father Stephen Gadberry in the church.
• 9:15 p.m. Eucharistic Exposition and Closing Benediction in the church.

Saturday, March 7 — St. Joseph Catholic Church, 11757 Old St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville

• 7:15 a.m. Doors open, Sacrament of Reconciliation available.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass with Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier as the principal celebrant.
• 10 a.m. Eucharistic Procession with parishes, ministries and lay apostolates carrying banners.
• 11 a.m. Keynote presentation with Julianne Stanz.
• Noon lunch break.
• 1-3 p.m. English Track with Father Stephen Gadberry and Dr. Gerardo Salazar in the church. Spanish Track with Dr. Gerardo Salazar and Father Stephen Gadberry in the Cody Center.
• 3:15-3:45 p.m. Eucharistic Exposition and Closing Benediction in the church.