National Eucharistic Congress Application

This summer, tens of thousands of Catholics will gather at the feet of Jesus in Indianapolis, boldly anticipating a new Pentecost. The people of God will come from every corner and every parish in our nation to bring the holy fire back to their local community. Your life—and our Church—will never be the same. Don’t miss this historic moment!

When: July 17-21, 2024
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Who: Laypeople, Clergy, & Religious
What: Impact Sessions, Reverent Liturgies, Revival Sessions, Eucharistic Procession, and more. Check out www.eucharisticcongress.org for more information about what to expect!
Cost: FREE for 10 blessed scholarship winners
Application Deadline: April 12th
Announcement of Winners: May 9th

The Martin De Porres Foundation will sponsor 10 Black/African American parishioners from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. A committee from the Office for Black Catholics will review responses to this application to select the 10 scholarship winners. Contact Kim Walker (kiwalker@archphila.org) at the Office for Black Catholics with any questions.

Note: This is a pilgrimage experience (not a vacation) that will involve a 12-hour bus ride to Indiana, significant walking, and long days packed with beautiful opportunities and large crowds. The bus will leave on 7/16 and return on 7/22, with an overnight stay in West Virginia on each end of the trip to break-up the bus ride. Please prayerfully discern if you are prepared to take part in this experience before applying. Discernment may involve speaking with your pastor, considering your physical health, and looking into your availability to be away for these 7 days.

    Personal Information

    *All fields are required




    Do you have any health conditions that may impact you during this experience?

    Essay Questions

    Please add your responses to the below prompts, responding to each prompt with 100 words or less. As we have all been blessed with different gifts and talents, for the first prompt you may choose to submit an original artwork or other media that reflects your response instead of writing an answer. Submissions may be emailed to kiwalker@archphila.org or mailed to the Office for Black Catholics, 222 N 17th St, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

    Who is Jesus in the Eucharist to you? Please share a short statement (or indicate that you will instead submit an original artwork to kiwalker@archphila.org) that reflects your belief in the true presence.

    Why do you want to attend the National Eucharistic Congress? Please share a short statement about what drew you to this opportunity or what you hope to encounter.

    With the theme, "Come in Faith - Leave in Hope," how do you plan to bring the hope experienced at the Congress back to your parish? Please share a short statement about your goals or plans to witness, educate, and influence others in their encounter with the true presence.

    Is there any additional information you wish to share with the scholarship committee?

    An endorsement from your clergy is required to submit this application. Please submit the name and email or phone number of the clergy member who recommended you or approved this application: