Many people sacrificed to serve and attend the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) held in Indianapolis this past summer. One of them was Theresa Moore (80) of Corpus Christi, who went with her sister, Patti (70), from Plano. She is the mother of Dave Moore, originally from Corpus Christi, who, with his wife Lauren, founded the Catholic Music Initiative that coordinated the 23 Liturgies that took place over the week and composed and arranged 2000+ pages of music for the Indianapolis Symphony to join them in the final liturgy on Sunday.
Here's what Theresa shared about the conference: “Beauty and Wonder seem to be fleeting these days. I honestly did not know what to expect regarding the NEC. All I knew was that my son and daughter-in-law gave everything they had because they believed it was important. David was named the director of music and liturgy for the NEC in January of 2023. I remember discouraging him from taking on anything more due to his work with the Diocese of Dallas and their non-profit, the Catholic Music Initiative. However, he was convinced that God was calling them, and he remained inspired that the core team planning the congress were warriors for the faith with whom he was called to serve.
“I quickly prayed to St. Monica, asking the Lord to maximize my son’s sleep and give him grace. At this time, I decided that I would go to Indianapolis to show up for my son… I didn’t know how much the journey would restore and heal me. I was almost unable to attend due to an unexpected surgery two weeks before the event, but my younger sister traveled with me to make it possible. When she wheeled me into the stadium, I was overcome by the beauty of what looked like the world’s largest cathedral.
“I had never seen anything like it. I saw Dave and Lauren leading the biggest choir I had ever heard, a stadium full of people singing the praises of the Lord. Then, all went silent as our Eucharistic Lord entered the room. The hall went completely dark, and the spotlights moved to the altar, and all that was left to do was to remain in awe of God. I have seen many things, but nothing like this – it was all about Jesus.
“The congress let the fresh air in. I want people to know there is hope for the future and that this is only the beginning. In the final Mass, Cardinal Luis Tagle encouraged us all to “go on a mission” and take the encounter and communion experienced at the Eucharistic Congress and share it with others; that’s why I am sharing this story.”
“The National Eucharistic Congress wasn’t just a great event that is now over; it was a revival, the beginning of something special, led by the power of the Holy Spirit, that will bear great fruit for years. If you have access to YouTube, look for the National Eucharistic Congress. If you love Music, I encourage you to follow the Catholic Music Initiative, as its founders began their ministry here in Corpus Christi and continue to bless people worldwide.”