INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At least 50,000 people took part in a Eucharist processional on Saturday as part of the National Eucharistic Congress.

The Congress began on Wednesday and is the first of its kind in 83 years, since 1941.

“I’ve never been a part of anything like this before, with 50,000 people with the same mindset and same faith,” James McCormick, of Chicago, said.

The procession was focused on reinvigorating Catholic emphasis and belief in the Eucharist. A few years ago, church leaders discovered that although this view of the Eucharist is vital to the Catholic faith, only a third of Catholics truly believe in its importance.

It ran between North Meridian and Capitol.

Eucharist literally means “Thanksgiving” and is a central component of Catholicism.

“In the Catholic church, we believe that Jesus, when he did the last supper and He said, ‘take this and eat it, this is my body, and this is my blood.’ We truly believe that it is Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity,” attendee from Denver, Laura Potter, said. “As everyone was processing and Jesus came by in the Eucharist, and then just seeing all these people and like the last twenty years of my life, I’ve just been like seeing so many people from the last twenty years of my life that have just made a really huge impact in my life in so many ways.”

Most people have spent months or days traveling from across the world and country to be in Indianapolis, but Carmel natives Katherine and John Tiplick did not have to travel far to be in the city.

“We’re just so excited that it is right in our backyard,” Katherine Tiplick said. “It’s just an opportunity of a lifetime to really express our faith and hopefully share it with the world.”