Year of Parish Eucharistic Revival to begin June 11

Dear Friends,

The Bishops of the United States have called for a Year of Eucharistic Revival, which began nationally on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi this past June. The parish phase, implementing this Year of Eucharistic Revival, begins this Sunday, June 11, 2023, the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord.

Why devote a year to the Eucharist? It is motivated in part by the rather shocking lack of faith Catholics have in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Pew research studies have shown that only 1/3 of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, the Real Presence of Christ. It is also motivated, in part, as a way of encouraging people to return to Mass following the pandemic. But this year is not just a reactionary response to the loss of faith and the problem of disengagement from the Church. The bishops tell us this in their statement calling for this Year of Eucharistic Revival:

“Scandal, division, disease, doubt. The Church has withstood each of these throughout our very human history. But today we confront all of them, all at once. Our response in this moment is pivotal. In the midst of these roaring waves, Jesus is present, reminding us that he is more powerful than the storm. He desires to heal, renew, and unify the Church and the world."

This year, then, directs us to the Lord of the seas and winds, whose command stills the storms of our times. This year is about Jesus, who invites us during this strange moment in history to know that He journeys with us through time and that He is truly and fully present to us in the Eucharist to heal, renew, and unify His Body, the Church, and the world.

Beginning this Sunday, June 11, we will keep a brief time of silence after the distribution of Holy Communion at all Masses for the remainder of the Year of Eucharistic Revival. Following Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament will be collected and reposed except for one ciborium, which will be left on the altar for adoration. This time of silence will conclude with a prayer composed by St. Thomas Aquinas in honor of the Eucharist, known as the “O Sacrum Convivium.” The prayer is as follows:

“Hail, O sacred banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of His Passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”

I also encourage you to privately pray the following prayer whenever you enter or leave the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It is known as the “Prayer of the Angel,” taught to the visionaries at Fatima by an angel prior to Our Lady’s first apparition in 1917.

“My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee.”

While it is good that we should keep this time of silence before the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, let’s not forget that if we have received Holy Communion worthily, that is in a state of grace, then we have become the altar on which He rests, the tabernacle in which He dwells, and the monstrance which shows Him to the world. Believe in and adore the Lord who comes to you and makes you His chosen dwelling place in the Eucharist.

Other catechetical and spiritual events will take place in the fall for the Year of Eucharistic Revival. We will be promoting them as they draw closer.

Lastly, I encourage you to participate in this weekend’s Corpus Christi procession following the 11 a.m. Mass. The procession will go up Mountain Ave. to Immaculata High School, where the monstrance will be placed in the chapel for a time of silent adoration, and then return to the church prior to the 1 p.m. Mass in Spanish. The Corpus Christi procession is an old tradition of the Church, though it has been somewhat forgotten in modern times, and offers us an opportunity when so many have grown indifferent to Christ and His Church to give public witness to our faith in His presence among us and His mastery over the storms of our times.

Servus,

Rev. Msgr. Joseph G. Celano
Pastor and Director of Schools