Diocesan Eucharistic Revival to start June 19

Friday, Jun. 10, 2022

SALT LAKE CITY — The Eucharistic Revival is a national three-year effort by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that is intended to bring Catholics back “to the source and summit of our faith” – the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, states the USCCB website eucharisticrevival.org.

Amid the scandal, division, disease and doubt of today’s world, “Jesus is present, reminding us that he is more powerful than the storm,” the website continues. “He desires to heal, renew and unify the Church and the world,” and Christ will do this by “uniting us once again around the source and summit of our faith – the Holy Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is the joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the entire Catholic Church in the U.S. to this divine invitation.”   

The national program will launch on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 19; the diocesan efforts will begin that day as well. (See Bishop Oscar A. Solis’ message, left.)

The first year of the Eucharistic Revival is centered on diocesan efforts, intended to invite “diocesan staff, bishops and priests to respond to the Lord’s personal invitation and equips them to share this love with the faithful through Eucharistic congresses and events,” the bishops’ website states.

From June 11, 2023 to July 17, 2024 will be the Year of Parish Revival, which “will foster Eucharistic devotion at the parish level, strengthening our liturgical life through faithful celebration of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, missions, resources, preaching and organic movements of the Holy Spirit,” according to the website.

The National Eucharistic Congress will be the culmination of the Eucharistic Revival, with more than 80,000 Catholics expected to gather July 17-21, 2024 in Indianapolis “to reconsecrate their hearts to the source and summit of our faith,” the website states.

In the Diocese of Salt Lake City, an organizing committee has been formed for this year’s efforts. Father Christopher Gray, pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Park City, is the committee chairman. The highlight of the diocesan Eucharist Revival will be a diocesan-wide Mass on July 9, 2023 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy. The day will include music, at least one speaker whose topic will be the Eucharist, and Mass.

As part of the effort leading up to the diocesan-wide Mass, the diocesan Office of Worship has prepared a series of four-minute reflections on the Eucharist that, beginning in the fall, will be posted on the diocesan website and printed in this newspaper. Pastors will be encouraged to have these reflections read during the weekend liturgies in their parishes.

Fr. Gray also has asked groups affiliated with the local Church, such as the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and the Knights of Columbus, to help with the diocesan efforts. Individuals who are interested in becoming involved should contact their pastors.