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OSV News) — With the feast of Corpus Christi, the National Eucharistic Revival enters its second year and shifts its focus to parish renewal — a year organizers expect will inspire more parishes to increase the Eucharist’s visibility in their communities through Eucharistic processions.
“Processions have been a very public witness and display of faith,” said Joel Stepanek, the National Eucharistic Revival’s chief mission officer. Because of that public nature, they can be “jarring,” he said, prompting both Catholics and non-Catholics to reflect on the Real Presence.
“Just the stories and the images of the various processions that have been undertaken … have been some of the most striking examples of how, on a diocesan level, there has been a response to this call for revival,” he said.
Launched as an initiative of the U.S. Catholic bishops in June 2022, the National Eucharistic Revival is a three-year movement that aims to deepen Catholics’ love for Jesus through encountering him in the Eucharist. The revival’s second year leads up to a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
The revival’s first year was titled “The Year of Diocesan Revival,” and efforts focused on formation for diocesan leadership and diocesan-wide events. The revival’s second year, “The Year of Parish Revival,” aims to reach Catholics in their parishes through renewed attention to the “art” of the Mass, Eucharistic devotions, and small-group faith sharing and formation.
Eucharistic processions — which consist of the Eucharist, typically displayed in a monstrance, followed by the faithful for any length of distance inside or outside of a church — became common forms of public devotion for Catholics at points in the Church’s history when the teaching on the Real Presence was questioned. Catholics believe the Eucharist truly is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, who instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper.
Continued below.
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“Processions have been a very public witness and display of faith,” said Joel Stepanek, the National Eucharistic Revival’s chief mission officer. Because of that public nature, they can be “jarring,” he said, prompting both Catholics and non-Catholics to reflect on the Real Presence.
“Just the stories and the images of the various processions that have been undertaken … have been some of the most striking examples of how, on a diocesan level, there has been a response to this call for revival,” he said.
Launched as an initiative of the U.S. Catholic bishops in June 2022, the National Eucharistic Revival is a three-year movement that aims to deepen Catholics’ love for Jesus through encountering him in the Eucharist. The revival’s second year leads up to a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
The revival’s first year was titled “The Year of Diocesan Revival,” and efforts focused on formation for diocesan leadership and diocesan-wide events. The revival’s second year, “The Year of Parish Revival,” aims to reach Catholics in their parishes through renewed attention to the “art” of the Mass, Eucharistic devotions, and small-group faith sharing and formation.
Eucharistic processions — which consist of the Eucharist, typically displayed in a monstrance, followed by the faithful for any length of distance inside or outside of a church — became common forms of public devotion for Catholics at points in the Church’s history when the teaching on the Real Presence was questioned. Catholics believe the Eucharist truly is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, who instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper.
Continued below.
Processions' public witness expresses National Eucharistic Revival's evangelistic vision, as movement begins parish year
With the feast of Corpus Christi, the National Eucharistic Revival enters its second year and shifts its focus to parish renewal
www.oursundayvisitor.com
