In 1941, just six months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the last National Eucharistic Congress was held — in St. Paul in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Allison Spies, the archdiocese’s archives program manager, noted that the month of June 83 years ago saw record-breaking heat and rainfall.
The Boy Scouts and nurses from St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s hospitals were there to help everyone hydrate, Spies said. Right when the procession started, it began to rain, but everyone appreciated the accompanying drop in temperature, she said.
“Spirits were really high,” Spies told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley during an interview airing June 21. “Even though costumes were a little dampened and some dye was running, and hats were a little softer than intended, everyone really had great attitudes. It kind of brought a little bit of a spirit of fun. We see pictures of people who kicked their shoes off as it got muddier.”
Neither rain, mud nor heat got in the way of the four-day congress, which one source described as a “quiet and untroubled atmosphere of prayer,” Spies said.
At least 150 U.S. bishops were there, Spies said, and clergy, religious and lay faithful from around the country attended. They packed hotel rooms, college dorms and private homes.
“It was described as the largest human assembly ever seen in the region,” Spies said, adding that hundreds of thousands of people may have attended. “Of the events (that) took place in the Twin Cities, there were a lot of events at the municipal auditoriums in St. Paul and Minneapolis. But really the heart of the Congress was the (Minnesota) State Fairgrounds, which had been transformed into this Eucharistic center. All of the buildings of the fairgrounds were used for meetings and exhibits.”
The event itself was organized in only five and a half months, Spies said. It was held less than three years after a Eucharistic Congress in New Orleans, she said.
Spies said Catholic schools in the Twin Cities dedicated the year to having students memorize songs for the congress and to understand topics that would be addressed.
“Everybody kind of already had this in mind,” Spies said. “They’ve been doing Eucharistic Congresses on average, every five years, but this time around it’s been 83 years since the last one, so a Eucharistic revival was really needed.”
Themes the congress addressed included fears over the war raging in Europe. Prayers for peace were offered throughout the event.
“They described the Eucharist as a source of strength and motivation and a remedy against despair,” Spies said. “That really showed up in a lot of the talks that were being held.”
To hear more details about the last National Eucharistic Congress, tune in to the “Practicing Catholic” episode that debuts at 9 p.m. June 21 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. June 22 and 2 p.m. June 23.??
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program also includes a discussion with James Shackelford from Encounter Ministries about the organization’s new School of Healing.?Also, Kenna Millea and Andrew Wagenbach dive deeply into the role of parents as primary educators of the faith for their children.
?Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
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