Schedule for Eucharistic Revival Rally and Mass

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023

The Diocese of Salt Lake City will host a Eucharistic Revival Rally on Sunday, July 9, that will culminate in a Mass with Bishop Oscar A. Solis presiding.

The schedule follows.

9 a.m., followed by Eucharistic Adoration 

The Sacrament of Confession will be offered all morning.

9:30 a.m., followed by feature presentations and a panel discussion

The keynote speaker will be Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who will reflect on cultural diversity. 

Bishop Flores was born in the United States near the border with Mexico. His family moved back and forth between the two countries as his father followed work opportunities. 

Fluent in both Spanish and English, Bishop Flores undertook his undergraduate and master’s degree studies in the United States. After his ordination, he was sent to Rome, where he received a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Committee, and was just appointed by Pope Francis to serve on the preparatory commission to bring together the work of all the diocesan, national, regional synod committees for the General Synod in October. 

At the Eucharistic Rally, Bishop Flores will deliver two talks, one in English and another in Spanish. He then will meet with the teen group. 

O’Malley is the director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University. He has written several books on the Mass and the Eucharist, including 2021’s Real Presence: What Does It Mean & Why Does it Matter, which was followed in 2022 with Becoming A Eucharistic People. His writing explains issues such as “What does transubstantiation mean?” and Eucharistic miracles. Both books are available in English and Spanish.

Medina has led several retreats in the Diocese of Salt Lake City and has spoken to the Spanish lay ecclesial ministers group (EMAUS). He has directed the Office of Clergy Formation for the Diocese of San Bernardino and served as an instructor at the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University.   

Catholics with disabilities, as well as those who minister to or with them, often point out that pastoral practice with regard to the celebration of the sacraments varies greatly from parish to parish. In the “Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops provide guidance on this matter to dioceses, parishes, pastors, catechists, individuals and families. The panel will discuss how Catholics with disabilities in the diocese prepare for and celebrate the sacraments. The panel will be led by Carol Ruddell, a lay ecclesial minister who ministers to Catholics with disabilities and their families. She regularly provides American Sign Language interpretation at St. Vincent de Paul Parish and diocesan liturgies. Ruddell, a former educator and researcher, is the state administrator for suicide prevention in the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

If you will need ADA accommodations to fully participate in the Eucharistic Rally, contact Ruddell at cgruddell@comcast.net by June 10. Accommodations include ASL interpreter, braille materials, large print, wheelchair, low-gluten hosts, etc. 

These activities will include presentations by the winners of the creative works contest for children, youth and young adults in the diocese. All young people, ages kindergarten through college, have been invited to think about how they encounter Jesus through the Eucharist and to express that experience in some creative medium, writing, artwork, music, video. 

Submissions will be accepted through May 23. For information, visit https://www.dioslc.org/eucharistic-revival/morning-rally-mass/youth-creative-work-contest.  

At the rally, selected winners will present their submissions, either as a live presentation or via a poster displayed in the Family Zone.  

In this area family groups will have an opportunity to participate in a mini-pilgrimage modeled on the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain. Stops on the Camino will allow families to participate in activities that teach about the faith, invite them to consider vocations, and learn about the role of the bishop, the Eucharist at Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. 

On the path between stops will be posters displaying images of tabernacles from various diocesan churches. 

Two sizes of labyrinths as well as several small hand labyrinths will be available. The labyrinth, a medieval tradition of contemplative prayer that grew out of pilgrimages, offers a chance for a quiet prayer experience. 

Also available will be an area with tables and chairs to work on Eucharist-themed coloring books and Camino activities.  

Children in the Family Zone must be accompanied by at least one adult; no child care will be provided.    

Activities geared to teenagers will include a bilingual text and picture display about Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of cancer at age 15. During his short life, he became famous for creating a database documenting Eucharistic miracles throughout the world.

During this event, speakers will talk about the Eucharist and Eucharistic spirituality. Bishop Flores will be among the speakers.