U.S. Bishops approve document on the EucharistU.S. bishops to call for "Eucharistic consistency" in Eucharist document"Eucharistic Renewal is not a program or an event. It is a time of grace, a new encounter with Jesus and a moment to grow in our relationship with Him. We want to awaken in the Church in our country, and in the heart of every Catholic, what Pope St. John Paul II called, 'Eucharistic Awe,'" said Archbishop José Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, on June 19 during his homily at the beginning of the Eucharistic Renaissance in Los Angeles.
From East to West, Phase One begins
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi in the USA marked the beginning of this movement in all the dioceses of the United States. From New York to Los Angeles solemn Masses were celebrated followed by Eucharistic processions in both cathedrals and parishes.
On the East Coast, in New York alone, 61 parishes held Eucharistic processions, preceded by Holy Mass.
At St. Patrick's Cathedral, Cardinal Timothy Dolan presided at the Liturgy followed by a procession along Manhattan's iconic Fifth Avenue.
On the West Coast, in Los Angeles, California, Archbishop Jose Gomez led the Mass and then the Eucharistic procession through the streets of downtown.
Why did this initiative arise?
Economic and social hardships in the U.S., such as political polarization after the 2020 elections and the pandemic, changed the lives and faith practices of thousands of parishioners.
Following the return to the new post-COVID normalcy, a high percentage of U.S. Catholics did not return to the Church. This fact was added to the increase in the number of "non-affiliated", "non-religious", or "Nones" (the "Nones") in the new generations.No religious affiliationThe pandemic is a multifactorial phenomenon, but the pandemic was the detonator and accelerator of this trend. Although this is a multifactorial phenomenon, the pandemic was a trigger and accelerator of this trend.
Another important factor was the lack of formation and profound ignorance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist among Americans. A 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that more than two-thirds of Catholics in this country consider the bread and wine consecrated during Mass to be only "symbols" of the Body and Blood of Christ. According to this surveyOnly 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
This ignorance of the Mystery of the Faith is a visible reality in many North American parishes and translates into various aspects, from lack of reverence and piety before the Eucharistic Mystery to alienation from the Church.
Andrew Cozzens, Bishop of Crookston, Minnesota and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis (in charge of the Eucharistic Revival initiative), said: "This Eucharistic Revival is a spiritual response to the problems of our world. We are aware of the times of crisis we live in. It is a crisis rooted in the abandonment of God and faith. It is a crisis that manifests itself in wars, mass shootings, high suicide rates among our youth and moral struggles of various kinds... The list could go on and on. We are living in difficult times.
Timing
Against this backdrop, the North American prelates decided to launch the National Eucharistic Revival, which began on June 19, 2022. It consists of three parts: the year of the diocesan renaissance (2022-2023); the year of the parish renaissance (2023-2024) and the year of the National Eucharistic Congress (2024-2025).
During the first year, the bishops will organize various events and initiatives at the diocesan level, including diocesan Eucharistic congresses, catecheses and days of prayer centered on the mystery of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.
Likewise, the dioceses will have groups of evangelizers who, after a period of formation, will go to the parishes in the second phase to provide formation. The dioceses will also prepare and distribute catechetical material on the subject as well as web sites dedicated to the topic.
In the second phase, the year of parish renaissance (2023-2024), parishes and their parishioners will be the protagonists. The goal is to foster Eucharistic communities through Eucharistic adoration, prayer groups, parish processions and catechesis on the Mass and the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist.
Finally, in the last phase (2024-2025), the North American Church will gather from July 17-24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to celebrate the National Eucharistic Congress. Thousands of Catholics are expected to attend this event, who at its conclusion will be sent back to their dioceses and parishes as Eucharistic missionaries.
Tools for Eucharistic Rebirth
Two important pillars of this initiative are the document "Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church" and cyberspace, especially the websites of each diocese.
The document "Mystery of the Eucharist in the life of the Church." was prepared by the North American Episcopal Conference and contains catechetical and doctrinal aspects on the source and summit of our faith. It is written in simple language and is therefore an accessible tool for different communities or parishes to prepare themselves to live this time of grace.
In addition, a special portal has been created in English and Spanish to report everything related to this movement at the national level: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org The site contains informative videos, newsletters, catechetical information and different forms of participation.
In his homily at the beginning of the Eucharistic Renaissance in Los Angeles, Bishop José Gómez said, quoting St. Josemaría Escrivá: "Jesus stayed in the Eucharist for love of you. He stayed, so that you might eat him, visit him and tell him your things, and by treating him in prayer at the Tabernacle and in the reception of the sacrament, fall more in love with him every day and make other souls follow the same path (cf. St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge, 887).
In these next few years we will have an incredible opportunity to renew our devotion and our personal love for Our Lord in the Eucharist. Let us ask for the grace to grow in our devotion, renewing our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in Communion so that it may be the center and root of our Christian life," concluded Gomez.
