The Eucharist: God’s Greatest Gift

A desire for the Eucharist leads a young adult home to his faith

(This story is a shortened version of the one that first appeared in The Criterion on May 3, 2024.)
 

By John Shaughnessy

We all want that feeling of home—a place where we are welcomed, where we feel we belong.

On a cold night of sleet and rain in early April of this year, 26-year-old Kevin Bedel entered a place that has provided a sense of home for him.

He walked into the brightly-lit gym of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis, smiling as he anticipated the connection of friendship, community and faith that has unfolded nearly every Wednesday night this spring for him and another 159 young adult Catholics who participate in the IndyCatholic volleyball league.

And while Bedel’s involvement in the league gives him a setting where he feels he belongs, it also reflects an even more significant homecoming for him—his return to his Catholic faith.

“I was part of a Protestant group for a while, and I found there was something missing from their worship,” says the red-hair, bearded Bedel. “You’d go to church, and it was very feel-goody. But something was missing.

“And what was missing was the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Catholic reverence and our celebration of the Eucharist is what I was missing—the real, true presence of Jesus Christ. It hit me at a Good Friday service at St. Monica two years ago. Getting to adore the cross, it was like, ‘Yep, this is home. This is where I grew up. I was away, but now I’m home.’ ”

The reconnection to his faith became a bridge to increased friendships for Bedel, a member of St. Christopher Parish in Indianapolis.

“I said, ‘Well, if I’m going to pursue my faith, I need to be involved in the community.’ And coincidentally, it worked out to get into volleyball. I found out about it through a friend at St. John the Evangelist Parish downtown. He said you should sign up for volleyball.

“I had a lot of fun and made a lot of really good connections. You know by nature of everyone being Catholic that they all have the same values, and that they generally have the same morals. You know it’s a good group of people before you even step foot into the building. After being around the community only a few times last year, I was so welcomed by everyone.” †

 

Read more from our special edition on the Eucharist