Photo Caption: Deacon Christian Galvan, a transitional deacon for the Diocese of St. Petersburg transfers the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament to the altar during the Holy Hour to launch the National Eucharistic Revival on June 19, 2022, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Photo by Ray Reyes

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." - (John 6:51)

The National Eucharistic Revival was launched on June 19, the Feast of Corpus Christi, by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The initiative, "Eucharistic Revival: My Flesh for the Life of the World," invites U.S. Catholics of all ages to become part of a national movement “to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.”

At the Diocese of St. Petersburg, a Holy Hour was observed at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle on June 19th at 3:00 p.m. to launch the revival locally. Father Arthur Proulx, rector of the Cathedral, presided in place of Bishop Gregory Parkes, who was unable to attend due to health reasons. Also, some parishes across the Diocese of St. Petersburg held Holy Hours at the same time on June 19th in unity with our Cathedral and churches across the United States.

“In the Holy Eucharist, we enter into the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Our suffering, our crosses, and even our death takes on new meaning when offered to His sacrifice in the Mass. We know from the Sacred Scriptures that we who are united in His suffering and death will also share in His resurrection. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is our Passover. Through the Mass, the blood of Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, frees us from our slavery to sin and death. The chains of death are broken. This Holy Sacrament of Christ’s presence fills our hearts with the hope of a promised land, heaven,” said Father Proulx during the homily.

Pastors were asked to send a delegation of at least two parishioners to the Diocesan Holy Hour at the Cathedral and to offer a public blessing of their parish representatives in the weeks leading up to the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Organizers of the National Eucharistic Revival believe that God is inspiring a movement of Catholics across the United States who are healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist – and sent out in mission for the life of the world.

 “Right now, the Church in the United States needs the healing and the unity that can flow from rekindling our love for the Eucharist. We need to rekindle the love of our people so they can become missionaries and reach out to the margins as we are called to do by Pope Francis' 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

This Eucharistic Revival seeks to bring together clergy, religious, laity, apostolates, movements, and parish and diocesan leaders to spur momentum, collaboration, and lasting impact for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the U.S. Grounded in prayer and responding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the National Eucharistic Revival has four primary goals:

1. To provide a more profound encounter with Jesus Christ in the Sunday liturgy as a point of unity among all Catholics, and through this powerful encounter, to find personal healing and courage to take the Gospel to a world in need of authentic love – the love of Christ found in the Eucharist.
2. To spark personal conversions through the joyful discovery of a relationship with Christ by encountering the love of God present in Jesus in the Eucharist.
3. To elevate the truth and practices of our Catholic faith through the rediscovery of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
4. To form, inspire, and launch missionary disciples, filled with love of God and neighbor that comes from an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, to the margins of the Church and the world.

The USCCB Evangelization and Catechesis Committee began planning for a National Eucharistic Revival after a 2019 Pew Research study indicated that up to 69 percent of Catholics don’t believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Planning was delayed due to COVID-19 limitations, and Bishop Cozzens cited the impact the pandemic has had on Catholics as another reason for initiating a National Revival at this time. 

In a letter to pastors Bishop Parkes wrote, “May our National Eucharistic Revival provide an opportunity for all of us to reflect more deeply on the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.  The Lord accompanies us in many ways, but not more profound as when we encounter Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”

To learn more, click here.

Listen to a podcast of Father Victor Amorose discussing the National Eucharistic Revival.

Prayer for the Revival

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, nor adore, nor hope, nor love You.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. And, through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of sinners.

Our Lady of Fatima

Timeline:

June 19, 2022:  Launch of the Eucharistic Revival on the feast of Corpus Christi

June 19, 2022 – June 11, 2023

Diocesan leaders and priests participate in diocesan-level formation events and prepare for training Eucharistic missionaries for the parish revivals that begin in June 2023.

June 11, 2023 – July 17, 2024

The revival happens in parishes, with the assistance of “Eucharistic missionaries” who Bishop Cozzens described as "parish lay leaders who help to organize and carry out the revival at the parish level."

July 17-21, 2024: National Eucharistic Congress - Indianapolis

Thousands of Catholics will journey on pilgrimage to Indianapolis. The goal is to "animate and strengthen” them through a personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist.

July 17, 2024 – Pentecost 2025

The pilgrims who attend the National Congress are sent as missionaries to their dioceses and parishes and “out to the margins to invite people into our ‘Eucharistic communities,’” according to Bishop Cozzens.

Photos from the Holy Hour at the Cathedral on June 19, 2022 are below. (Hover computer mouse below and click on the arrow.)