Fr. Tom Orians Participates in National Eucharistic Congress

More than 80 years in the making, the recent National Eucharistic Congress drew about 55,000 Catholics to Indianapolis to welcome Jesus and seek repentance and joy in His presence. From the initial procession of the Eucharist into Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts) to daily Masses to perpetual adoration, the congress invited Catholics to renew their hope and joy in the true presence of Christ.

Among the more than 2,000 priests who partook in the historic events was Fr. Tom Orians, SA. The congress was about “receiving the Eucharist and then being the Eucharist for others.” This was apparent from the moment the events began, he said.

“The first time I entered Lucas Oil Stadium, it was so powerful to see so many of our Catholic family gathered to celebrate Christ’s gift of the Eucharist for His people,” Fr. Tom recalled. “It reminded me that the very act of celebrating the Eucharist has been passed on for centuries to every type of Catholic believer. In that great football stadium, we were one in Christ.”

In 2018, Fr. Tom was appointed a lifetime Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis to “make ourselves very available in bringing about that reconciliation of God through the sacred ministry of confession.” During the National Eucharist Congress, Fr. Tom heard hundreds of confessions from attendees. “The confessions were simple and many, and they drove home to me the very meaning of being a Missionary of Mercy,” he said. “Sitting in a room full of priests hearing confessions, I was deeply touched by the reality that I was gifted in a special way by the Holy Father to bring to the people of God the great love and mercy of God.”

Fr. Tom also greeted visitors to the Atonement Friars booth in the exhibit hall during the National Eucharistic Congress. He said that more than 3,000 people stopped by to learn about the Atonement Friars and their charism. “I sought to encourage people to help us in the vocation endeavor, and I even found a young man now and then who was seeking to discover his vocation in life,” Fr. Tom said. “I naturally invited them to consider a life as a Friar of the Atonement.”

Through every event and activity during the National Eucharistic Congress, Catholics had an opportunity to strengthen their faith and meet with people who shared that commitment. According to Fr. Tom, the goal now is to take what was gleaned and put it into motion in daily life. He commented: “I think the whole experience is summed up in the words of Archbishop Cozzens when he says that this is ‘our time to live deeply together, honoring and celebrating the gift of our Eucharistic Lord, leading us to live deeply our Eucharistic lives — lives transformed by His love and ready to witness His love in the world.’”