Evangelizing across the nation.
>> I think we're struggling in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We've got a lot of distractions. We've got a lot of conflicts in the American church. >> The work of Eucharistic preachers leading up to the National Eucharistic Congress in hopes of igniting a new fire of faith in the U.S. Eucharistic processions will take off from all corners of the U.S. stopping at holy sites, including this one, a shrine to the first American born saint. >> I'm Mark irons with that story coming up. >> When I hear something that's sacred or I hear something that's beautiful, God had made me such that I can be moved by that, and I can come to love him better through listening to it and participating in it, either by singing it or simply by listening to it. >> New Catholic music . We speak with the composer of the winning theme song for the National Eucharistic Revival, a special episode of EWTN News in Depth starts now . >> I'm really praying for the revival, to be honest, that it works that people encounter either in a deeper way or for the first time, encounter our Lord in the Eucharist, spreading a love for the Eucharist across the United States. >> Welcome to EWTN News in Depth. The Eucharist is central to our Catholic faith, but unfortunately there are many people, including Catholics, who don't truly understand this gift from God to counter our doubt and lack of understanding, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a multiyear revival to reignite our relationship with Christ among us. There are four phases to this national Eucharistic revival. It kicked off in 2022 with a diocesan phase , and we're currently in the second phase, focusing on parishioners in the pews among the many Christ centered opportunities are adoration, processions and Bible studies, all at the parish level. During this phase , national pilgrimages will start mid-May, culminating in Indianapolis for the Eucharistic Congress this July . And after that, we as Catholics are tasked with going out on mission and spreading the word . The Eucharistic pilgrimages are a unique part of this revival that will start at four corners of the United States. They travel for two months and they meet in Indianapolis. They will include outdoor processions with the Eucharist, allowing pilgrims to deepen their faith over their journey and hopefully open the hearts of others who witness them. Mark Irons gives us a closer look at the paths the pilgrims will take . Auto this summer. >> You can walk on the very roads of Eucharistic Revival. The pilgrimage starts on May 19th, Pentecost Sunday, when Eucharistic processions will depart from four US corners in the north, from Minnesota near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, in the east from New Haven, Connecticut. In the south from Brownsville, Texas, near the US Mexico border, and in the west from San Francisco north, east, south, and west to converge on Indianapolis for the Congress in July of this year . The four part pilgrimage will continue for two months. The public invited to participate at any point along the way and encounter Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, with all roads leading to the National Eucharistic Congress this summer in Indianapolis. On July 17th through 21st, Will Peterson overseas Logistics He says even the overall shape of the routes has significance. >> It also helps form like a cross over the top of the of the map of the country and with the idea of doing Eucharistic procession along each route. In a lot of ways, you know, Christ himself is sanctifying the land as we move through and bring people to the Congress to celebrate all routes combined, the Eucharistic Lord will cross into 27 states and 67 Catholic dioceses . >> Processions will pass along well-known national landmarks , cities and countryside, stopping at churches and holy sites and continuing into the public square. Each path given a fitting name. The Marian route, starting in the north, will pass through a place where an apparition of Mary was seen. >> It's going to come through here. This is one of the main stops for Our Lady of Champion National Shrine outside green Bay, Wisconsin is the site of the only church approved Marian apparition in the US, reminding pilgrims who take this route. >> Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay says Mary leads to Jesus Mary, mother of the Eucharist , is right here in our midst. >> The closer you get to Mary, the closer you're going to get to Jesus, and especially his presence in the Eucharist . >> The other three routes are named after Catholic saints and have significant stops along the eastern route. After leaving from New Haven, Connecticut , where Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, a later stop in Emmitsburg, Maryland. >> It's a really special place for this route. >> It's the national shrine to the first American born saint, and this route is named after Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded a community of religious women here and laid the foundation for Catholic education in the U.S. Becca Corbell, associate director of programs at the Shrine , says pilgrims will be able to adore Christ in the Eucharist and visit the tomb of Seton, a saint who converted to Catholicism inspired by the Eucharist, and ends up converting and just meeting the Catholic Church for the first time. >> Realizing that Catholics believe that you can receive Christ and have just that really intimate physical closeness. Like she couldn't turn back from that once she knew that that was available to her. >> From here, a Eucharistic procession will continue out in the public streets after leaving the seat and shrine, the Blessed Sacrament will process right through the center of town here in Emmitsburg, Maryland, fittingly passing through on Seton Avenue and down south. The Saint Juan Diego route, inspired by the man who marry the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to in Mexico, will include a stop in Corpus Christi , a US city named for the body of Christ. >> There is a big devotion to the Eucharist and , adoration seems to be very important here . >> Janet Jones is the communications director for the Diocese of Victoria in Texas, where the southern pilgrimage will continue by a unique historical landmark. >> And we're the only diocese that owns one, a Spanish fort from the 1700s. It's Presidio La Bahia and there's a chapel, Our Lady of Loreto there. It's very old. >> Out west, the longest pilgrimage route will wind its way from California to Indianapolis. >> From San Francisco through the western states, through Missouri and then up into Illinois. >> Bishop Thomas Paprocki in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, will take part in a procession on the tail end of this route. It's named after Saint Junipero Serra, a Spanish priest who established missions in California helping bring Christianity to America. >> So in a sense, it's kind of neat to see that Christianity was, was, was planted in California. And now that faith is being brought back east , to a National Eucharistic Congress. >> And when the Blessed Sacrament reaches certain shores on the western route, actually heading out from, across Lake Tahoe on boat, and up the Sacramento River before that, by boat on all the pilgrimage routes, when procession isn't possible, the Eucharist will remain inside a mobile tabernacle , traveling in a support vehicle every night. The Blessed Sacrament will repose in a parish church or chapel along the way . Each route will include a small group of eight perpetual pilgrims , young adults who have been selected and assigned to travel throughout the entire two months. But the goal is to attract more and more people. >> The goal for the public is anybody and everybody. We wanted to make it as accessible as possible . >> Bishop Paprocki has seen the impact Eucharistic processions can have. >> You just see cars going by and people looking at like, whoa, what's this all about? You know? And maybe it makes them stop and think. >> He hopes this nationwide Eucharistic pilgrimage will guide others to God. >> We have these processions and public displays of the Eucharist because it's a witness to our faith . >> Mark Irons, EWTN News in Depth EWTN will be bringing you exclusive coverage on each pilgrimage route on the ground with stories from pilgrims host cities and more. >> That coverage kicks off in May alongside the four Eucharistic pilgrimage routes . Bishop Andrew Cousins of the Diocese of Crookston , Minnesota, is the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Evangelization and Catechesis Committee. Boy, that's a mouthful. He's also leading the Eucharistic Revival and joins us to tell us what's in store as we head closer to the National Eucharistic Congress in July, Bishop Cousins , thank you for joining us again. Many who have not heard about the Eucharistic Congress might think this is something new. Has this happened in the United States before? >> Yes. Muncie, we have a wonderful tradition of Eucharistic congresses in the United States, you know, but it's something that has fallen out of practice, really, especially a National Eucharistic Congress. You know, this is the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, which means that there were nine of them before the first five tended to be smaller gatherings of priests and bishops. And they talked about the Eucharist. But things really exploded in 1926 when Cardinal Mundelein hosted the International Eucharistic Congress. And really, a million people showed up for the closing mass of the Mundelein Seminary. And that was really the first time they invited lay people to attend these congresses. And we had National Eucharistic Congresses in Omaha and in New Orleans and ultimately in Cincinnati. And the last national one was 1941, in Saint Paul , Minnesota, where 80,000 people showed up and possessed with the Blessed Sacrament from the cathedral to the state fairgrounds, did all night adoration about two miles. That procession , it was really a glorious experience. So we're hoping to really restart this wonderful tradition of honoring our Eucharistic Lord through these national congresses. >> It's remarkable to see that history and not wonder if the delay in having another Congress really has affected the faithful and the witness of the church . You you've mentioned that this initiative was meant to inspire the faithful after belief in the Eucharist was discovered to be waning , but this has taken on a deeper meaning for you. What have you discovered about U.S. Catholics and their relationship with Jesus Christ ? >> You know what what we've discovered is that really, the Eucharistic revival is part of the important move that all Catholics need to make to become missionaries . And it's just part of the world we're living in. We need as a church to move from maintenance to mission. And most people know that . And we've discovered that the Eucharist is really the source of the fire for mission. And that's what we hope this Congress will be. It's like bringing all the , the, the coals of the fire together. And you know what happens when you bring those coals together? The blaze begins to burn and then they go back hotter. Right. And we really hope to gather all those people who've been part of the Eucharistic revival for two years now, who've had their hearts set on fire, who've encountered Jesus's love in the Eucharist to come together and first off, to encounter the church together and to encounter our Eucharistic Lord together so that they can be formed and healed and set on fire for mission, but also because together we want to beg the Holy Spirit to renew the church. That's really one of the great goals of this Congress. But we've really discovered that as people grow in their relationship with Eucharist, they become strong . To be able to be the missionaries that Christ is calling them to be. >> Well, we're going to be featuring some of those voices of people who have had Eucharistic conversions to inspire others, but also help for them. Remember that they have the opportunity to meet other people at this Congress who have had the same experiences, so they can share them with others . Now, the faithful are the focus here. You've talked about bringing together laypeople, but how has this affected your brother? Bishops >> You know, this has actually been one of the beautiful things about this Eucharistic revival. A few bishops have even said to me , it's so great to have something so positive to focus on, right? And I've really seen the bishops be inspired. Some people saw this at the November meeting. I got up to talk about the Eucharistic revival, and it was like there was a electricity in the room. Bishops started to give up and talk about the things that happen in their dioceses. I had a Eucharistic Congress. We had 5000 people there. We've never had anything like that. We had this beautiful Eucharistic procession. We've had these small groups working in our parishes. So it's really, I think , energized the bishops. And, you know, this is the bishops event . And that's what makes the Eucharistic Congress, unique in that sense. This is the bishops of the United States calling all of our Catholics to come together around the church and really around the Eucharist, which is comes to us through the apostles . Right? That's right. So how beautiful that they are calling us together for this experience and they're all going to be there. You've never seen masses with more than 200 bishops. You're going to want to experience that. >> Oh, absolutely. Well, we're less than six months away from the Congress and the four pilgrimage routes, which will start in a couple of months. How are you going to be participating, aside from being present at the Congress in July? >> Yeah. So those four pilgrimage routes, we don't even know the effect that's going to have on our country. It's never been tried before, but it's going to be a beautiful thing. And I'm going to be at the one beginning in my diocese. It begins at the headwaters of the Mississippi, which starts in my diocese, the Mississippi River. Lake Itasca State Park. Sunday, May 19th. We're going to have Pentecost mass at the park, and we're going to have a major procession to the headwaters of the Mississippi, the very spot where the water begins . We're going to bless everybody who's there. And then the pilgrimage is going to start from there, and it's going to head for Indianapolis, and I'm going to walk the first week myself on foot. So between there and the Diocese of Duluth, I'm going to do as much of that walking as I can, and then I'm going to join it at different points to there'll be a day, Memorial Day, when it goes from the Basilica in Minneapolis to the cathedral in Saint Paul, which is about a six mile route right through the heart of the Twin Cities, I plan to join for that. With tens of thousands of people. I think we're going to see real conversions because this is an act of intercession. It's really a prophetic act. What we're doing with the Eucharist in this pilgrimage . And I think we're going to see people touched across our country and we've already seen that in some of the test pilgrimages that we've done well, we're running out of time. >> But real quick, there's one historic feature to a Eucharistic Congress that final mass. What do you hope will happen there? And do we know who Pope Francis plans to send to represent him? >> We have not yet heard who the Pope is. We did send, they said, ask us again in January. They're going to send a representative. The Pope is going to send somebody. We don't know who it's going to be, so we're praying for that person. But yeah, you know, the Eucharistic Congress is centered around the Holy Sacrifice of the mass, but there's something very special that happens in a mass where a whole group of people, like 80,000 people, are gathered where the church is gathered. Right. There's something very special that happens at a at a mass like that. And anyone who's ever been to World Youth Day or anything like that knows the power of celebrating mass together, because it's the mass that unites us, and it's the mass that makes us the church. And that particular mass is going to be really focused and offered that we would all become the missionaries that God wants us to be, because God is not going to be satisfied until everyone has been invited to the Eucharist. And that's our goal. >> Amen. Well, I'll see you in the Eucharist. It's wonderful to chat with you. God bless you, Montaigne. >> We'll see you at the Congress, too. >> That's right, that's right . Well, there are two patrons of the Eucharistic revival , Blessed Carlo Acutis and Saint Manuel Gonzalez Garcia . Saint Manuel, known for his devotion to abandoned tabernacles, was the Bishop of Malaga and Valencia in Spain from 1935 until his death in 1940. He's the founder of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, who announced God's presence in the Eucharist. His work endures today in 15 houses in Spain, as well as countries around the world. He asked to be buried at the foot of the tabernacle when he died, and Blessed Carlo Acutis , the 15 year old who claimed holiness was for everyone born, is the first of the millennial generation to be beatified by the Catholic Church. He is renowned for his deep devotion to the Eucharist. As a young teenager, he used his knowledge of technology to document Eucharistic miracles and approved Marian apparitions around the world. The Italian teen's mother, Antonia Salzano Acutis, shared stories of her son with me . >> Every hymn was for Carlo, the center , the Eucharist and the so Carlo did the first Holy Communion when he was seven years old, and in that occasion he brought to be always united with God. This is my life program. And he started to go to mass each day to do a holistic adoration. Each day the daily prayer, prayer of the Rosary and also the Bible . >> You can watch the entire interview with Mrs. Acutis on EWTN News in Depth Facebook page and on the EWTN YouTube page. A lack in belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist . A look at a recent US study on this. When we return , stay with us. >> The people that know what the church teaches about the Blessed Sacrament , and yet can't themselves profess that faith . >> The challenges of opening hearts to the Real Presence . Father Patrick Brisco shares his insights next , and a laywoman who will participate in the events during the Congress, shares her hopes for the impact of the Eucharist on the U.S. >> It's insane that we have a God that came down from heaven, right? That was here. But not only did he do that, but he didn't just leave and leave us with nothing, but he actually stayed with us. And he stayed with us through the Eucharist. And I think that says a lot about who Jesus is, who God is a beautiful testimony from Nathan Cranfield, his podcast Seeking Excellence, shares the gospel through the lens of his Eucharistic conversion. >> At 13 years old, welcome back to this special broadcast of EWTN news in Depth, focusing on the National Eucharistic Congress . The need for the revival is underscored by the lack of belief in, or understanding of the Real Presence of Jesus under the appearance of bread and wine . A 2022 study by Georgetown University Center for Applied Research in the apostolate, also called Cara , indicates less than half of Catholics believe in the true presence, with 49% believing in the True Presence and 51% believing that the bread and wine are just symbols. But as our faith teaches us, they're not just symbols. Bishop Joseph Espaillat of the Archdiocese of New York knows that. Of course, he's one of the world's youngest Catholic bishops and will have a prominent speaking role at the Congress. He spoke to us about the importance of the Eucharist and what his hopes are for the Congress. >> What does the Eucharist mean to you ? >> Wow, the Eucharist is everything. The Eucharist is life , the Eucharist is Jesus. Now, this is what we believe. It's who we are. We are a Eucharistic people. It's not just the you know, the body, blood, soul and divinity. Yes, those are important things . Those are essential in the sense of, you know, Eucharist , being the, you know, the body and blood of Jesus. But it's also when we come together here as church, and that is one of the things I'm really looking forward to with this Eucharistic revival that we come together around the table of the Lord. And it doesn't matter what language it could be Spanish, it could be English, it could be Swahili , it could be Latin. It doesn't matter . It's Jesus. And when we come together as the mystical Body of Christ, that's when God is present amongst his people. Right? And so this Eucharistic revival to me is hopeful . I hope it just doesn't become, you know, an adoration thing or a mass thing. It's more than that. It has to be bigger than that. And we as church, you know, are called to bring everybody , everybody to the table , you know, and we and we and we need to be more cognizant of that. >> Father Patrick Brisco is editor of our Sunday Visitor and host of the popular podcast God's Planning. He's also one of the official preachers of the National Eucharistic Revival. Father Brisco joins us now to talk about the work of evangelizing the Eucharist. Father Brisco, it's so great to have you back. What has it been like traveling the country, preaching about Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? Have Catholics been receptive? >> Thank you so much for having me on. I'm so happy to be here with you. In order to say yes , they have been. >> That's good. >> I am so moved by everything that I've seen. I mean, some of the most powerful events have been things that maybe we wouldn't consider a big deal because they don't sound like a fancy program, but seeing a renewal of devotion, especially to Eucharistic adoration , has borne a lot of fruit. I've preached, for example , a number of at a number of parishes where they've reinforced the 40 hours devotion in a very beautiful way . Many people maybe, maybe even your viewers, have not participated in 40 hours before the revival and bringing back that devotion alone has been totally worth all the effort of the Eucharistic revival. In order to facilitate parishes to allow people to come together in a parish for that special period of prayer and devotion before the Blessed Sacrament. >> Absolutely. >> Well , how did you prepare for this and has your understanding of the Eucharist changed at all? It certainly has. >> As Eucharistic preacher, one thing I've noticed in myself as a priest was the call, the example to be more attentive to the way we celebrate mass, more attentive to the Eucharistic mystery, not to be hasty, but to be totally conscious of what I'm doing as a priest when offering mass. So that's one way that the revival has really impacted me in a personal way. Another is just the opportunity to think about how many beautiful parts of the theology of the Eucharist and of Eucharistic devotion, like Eucharistic adoration and the theology of the mass that there are to preach on for a preacher, you can never be bored. We can never run out of things to say about the Eucharist, about the Blessed Sacrament . There are just so many wonderful strains to pick up and to explain to people, and to share that it's just such a great font of life. You know, as the church teaches, the source and summit of our life. >> Well, you've talked about how people have received this with a big resounding yes, but do you see a difference in how age groups respond to sharing the message of Eucharistic devotion? >> You know, one thing that's interesting is that they do respond differently. So I see young people, for example, more excited. And this might be a little counterintuitive. I see young people more excited about quiet Eucharistic adoration, about more solemn devotion , and I see older people excited about opportunities to build community. For example, one parish I did a Triduum dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis, and we had several afternoon training sessions about evangelization and the crowd that I thought was going to come to that was very different than the crowd that ended up coming to that. So yeah, I do. I would say that I've seen a big difference in responses to the generations, and that's because people have different needs. We have to anticipate that young people are looking for silence and stability, and older people are looking for community. >> That's beautiful. And it's very true. Well, we know that polls and statistics can be wrong. And that last survey was done in 2022. Do you think another study would reveal a change already as in a significant impact after the last year of the diocesan revival and now the parish revival? >> Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we do see that to be the case. I mean, for me, the biggest gap in the polls is the people that know what the church teaches about the Blessed Sacrament and yet can't themselves profess that faith. So. So there, that's where we've got the biggest challenge. I feel as a Dominican, I love explaining the church's teaching and being very clear about our doctrine, and for me, it's a great I have great desire , great passion for people to know exactly what we what we mean in our Catholic understanding of the Eucharist as the body , blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. But there is a gap between professing that knowledge, having been informed that and actually believing that it is true. And for me, that's the most interesting gap in these polls that we have to face. >> Absolutely . >> But then where does a lay Catholic person start out? >> It's easy with God's grace . >> Absolutely. >> Praying that Jesus would do something because the Lord can and he will, you know, there's one friar that's fond of saying, and I love this truth. I'm so consoled by it. God has plenty of time and he has plenty of money . And it's so true. And that that that what we owe Jesus is our hearts. That's what we owe him. And that's why I think this principle of the Eucharistic revival is so beautiful, because the most important thing we can do for the Lord is to go be with him, to pray in front of a tabernacle in the presence of the blessed Sacrament, to be ourselves committed to Eucharistic adoration. That is where we begin in prayer, in, in by loving Jesus , and by spending time with him as our friend. And then he'll lead us to the people that we can invite into that friendship. >> Well, if through prayer, someone feels moved to have a Eucharistic preacher at their parish , how do they go about requesting one? Yeah absolutely. >> So head on over to the Eucharistic Revival website and you can request a Eucharistic preacher there. Otherwise as many of my Dominican brothers are Eucharistic preachers and they're fabulous, Franciscan fathers of the renewal who are Eucharistic preachers. So in our respective religious orders, you can reach out to our orders and we'll be quickly at your door if we're available . >> I love that. >> Well, real quick, just because we're running out of time , will you be participating in these pilgrimages that are going to form this cross over the United States ? >> Absolutely. So that pilgrimage is going to come right through Washington , D.C. So I'll be here for this pilgrimage. I think the pilgrimage is a very beautiful moment because we literally be carrying the Eucharist across the country, and it gives everyone an opportunity to participate in the in the gathering that the Eucharistic Congress will be. We know as Catholics, it's important to go on pilgrimage and to gather together, to actually be present together. And so the being able to participate in these pilgrimages is such a beautiful opportunity for us to grow in our faith and to show our love for the Blessed Sacrament. >> Absolutely through that wonderful witness. Well, thank you so much, Father Brisco. We'll see you at the Congress and on the road with the Eucharist. >> Thank you so much. God bless you. >> God bless you and still Eucharistic wonder and kids , I think it's an easier thing to accomplish than instilling Eucharistic wonder in adults evangelizing to adults and children the beauty and saving power of the Eucharist. >> Welcome back to EWTN News in Depth special episode on the National Eucharistic Revival. I had a chance to talk with a religious sister who will be a featured speaker at the Eucharistic Congress in July. Sister Josephine Garrett is a licensed counselor for children and adolescents based in Texas. Her focus on the Daily Bread God Gives Us made a splash online during the pandemic. >> You work with children . I do, so how do you explain this to them? >> To kids? Yeah, I mean, kids encounter mystery better than adults. You know, we think we know everything, and if we don't know it, we think we can figure it out. But kids want to experience mystery like it delights them to not have it all figured out. So to say, like this bread is Jesus , like this is his body and blood and so on. Divinity and you can't see it. They're like, yes, you know, they love it . They can't see it. They love it. They can't understand it. Because for them , they still have that purity that what I cannot understand is not necessarily mean that it's a threat to me. And I think that idea that what we don't understand is a threat to us comes as we get older. And so to give or to instill Eucharistic wonder in kids, I think is an easier thing to accomplish than instilling Eucharistic wonder in adults. Last night I was in Eucharistic adoration and watched as tens of thousands of people turn and faced wherever Jesus was in the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance, as he was processed throughout the dome where we are here . And I thought, what a testament to the real Presence, like these young people are not looking at the screen . They are looking at the person of Jesus and facing him and just with their body language. Give a testament . And so yeah, I love the young church, a huge gift to me, huge gift to the American church. I think we have yet to even scratch the surface on the gift of young faith and how it can transform our parishes and our churches . >> You're going to be part of the Eucharistic Revival. >> I'm so excited . The Congress. Yes, I'm so excited. And so are you . Yes, yes. >> We'll be there together. Yeah, we'll be there together. >> What is your desire for? For the Congress? >> Knowing what you know, feeling the way you feel about the Eucharist. >> What's your desire? >> My desire for the Congress is I mean, it's simple. It's a sincere encounter with the Eucharistic Lord. For as many Catholics in our in our country as is possible, I just want people to really know that, like Jesus and the monstrance is being raised up in this land for you and for me, and the vessel that he's doing that through is the National Eucharistic Congress. Right. But that the purpose of this is an encounter with the living Lord, the Real Presence. And just like those young people in the dome last night, they all faced the monstrance and faced the Lord being held up for them. And looked upon him. That's what I want. >> Bishop cousins in a meeting with a bunch of communicators, he said that the bishops intentionally first said, the reason that we're doing this Congress is because people have lost their belief in the real presence. And then as that idea matured, they said, no, it's not the real presence there. They've lost their belief and they've lost their relationship with Jesus Christ and their ability to feel the faith in their heart. >> Yeah. >> What do you feel about that? Working with the young , knowing what their faith is like, but also encountering adults? Yeah. Where do you think the church is right now in terms of our relationship with Jesus Christ? >> I mean, we're struggling . I think we're struggling in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We got a lot of distractions . We got a lot of conflicts in the American church. We got a lot of egocentrism in the American church. We got a lot of my ministry, my apostolate, my this you know, we got a lot of that going on in the American church. And I'm talking about me too, right? Like I'm not I'm saying we us. And so I think we're struggling in our relationship with Jesus, and so I love the way that this revival and this Congress has come about. And I'm grateful to the bishops for being discerning men. It takes courage to be discerning , and it takes courage to course correct and say, well , we thought it was this. And so we tried to respond , and now we're responding and we've discovered this. And so we're responding anew and we're going step by step . And that's being a real leader in the church. You know, when you look back at the first century disciples, they didn't Pope Francis in his, in his, his exhortation, his encyclical, The Light of Faith, he talks about this. He says that the light of faith is not a light that tells you what the whole path is going to look like. The light of faith is a light that illumines the next step and so the way this Congress and revival is coming about is definitely got a gospel flavor to it, right? Like we're we're doing the thing. And so I'm excited about it. And I'm grateful for the bishops because I know, you know, sometimes they can get a bad rap for like the it really isn't the lack of faith or the real presence. I know there was debate about that, but, it doesn't matter . Like we respond to what we have because that's the stuff that God has illuminated for us to respond in faith . We take that one and then there's another illumination. So it makes me excited the way that it's come about, you know, that we've had to course correct. And I agree, we are struggling in our relationship with Jesus. We are struggling in our relationship with Jesus in the church. And that's okay. We're not the first Christians to struggle within our relationship with Jesus . And I think that, it's Saint Teresa who had this wonderful teaching that she gave us in her prayer life that she taught that it is not our perfections and our having it together that causes the gaze of Jesus to turn to us, but it's our need for healing that causes the gaze of Jesus to turn to us. So Jesus's heart is a healing heart , and the font that flows from it is a is a healing font . You know, whatever it washes over becomes like him and is renewed and made anew. And so , so it's good news that we need help , and it's good news that we need to work on our relationship with Jesus. That was always the case. I was always the case. I love that so much. >> I'm really looking forward to being there with you and praying with the whole church. Every single member of our American farmer. >> Yes, it's such an honor to get to participate in this way, in this revival, and in the Congress. Thank you so much. Thank you. Monty >> What remarkable faith. When we return, we look at the history of National Eucharistic Congresses here , what the bishop of the host city has to say about the upcoming event , and get a glimpse of the official monstrance that will be used during adoration. >> If it is truly a wonderful piece of music, as we hope that it is because it's been chosen, then , then it'll last for, you know, decades and God's work will continue through it. >> And later , the Bible verses that inspired this woman to compose new music for the church . >> We're the host diocese working with the National Committee and the National Board, caring for those four pillars of encounter worship, formation and mission. And continue to help our parish leaders to continue to carry forth that that witness and that that , proclaiming the power of the Eucharist . >> That's Archbishop Charles Thompson of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, the host city of the National Eucharistic Congress. He's helping to prepare for the main event of this multi year revival . It will be the first national Eucharistic Congress in 83 years. It's expected that as many as 80,000 Catholics of all ages from across the nation will attend this historic event in the church in America. The event is actually inspired by the first Eucharistic Congress, which was international in scope. Held in 1881. It took place in Lille, France, which is near the French border with Belgium . It was organized by a French laywoman, Marie Marthe Baptistine Tamsir. The International Eucharistic Congress has been held in the United States two times. The first in 1926, in Chicago, and the second in Philadelphia in 1976, the one in Philadelphia lasted for a week and included liturgies and lectures on understanding the Eucharist . It was attended by more than 1 million people, including some 400 bishops from around the world, some of the pilgrims included Saint Teresa of Calcutta, then Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Karol, Cardinal Wojtyla who would later become Saint Pope John Paul II, and was even attended by secular leaders like President Gerald Ford, who gave an address on religious liberty . There have been more than 50 International Eucharistic Congresses held throughout the world. The next one will be held in Quito, Ecuador. This coming September, and EWTN will bring you full coverage of that much anticipated event. But here in the United States, we've only had nine National Eucharistic Congresses . The most recent one was held just six months before the U.S. entered World War Two. The first took place at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1895. The first five listed on your screen were mostly gatherings of clergy. There was some lay participation from those living in the host cities and surrounding areas . After a 19 year interval, the next Congress took place in 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska, and it was the first national invitation to the laity . Every year since then, the scope and size has expanded to include talks, sessions, and more . The last National Eucharistic Congress was held in Saint Paul, Minneapolis in 1941. It has been 83 years since our last national Congress , and a lot of work and preparation has gone into this year's Congress , which will be the 10th of its kind in the United States. Some of that work includes a custom monstrance made in Mexico. It's four feet tall, weighs about 35 pounds, and can hold a 10 or 11 inch host. The monstrance, along with a chalice and paten, which will be used at the Congress, were blessed by Pope Francis last summer. Father Craig Wasik was one of the revival members who carried part of the monstrance to the Holy Father. >> He loved it. He commented a couple of different times a Gran , a Bella with a big smile on his face, you know. So he really enjoyed it. We had it made, following Archbishop Gomez, who had a beautiful monstrance made in Los Angeles. We followed a lead there and then another lead from another angle . But they both led to Mexico, to Guadalupe, to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and so we were able to have it custom made, an excellent example of high quality metal. >> Father Wasik says they wanted to make sure that the monstrance was big enough so that the masses of people at the Eucharistic Congress would be able to see our Lord. I also had the opportunity to speak with a lay woman who will emcee impact sessions during the Congress. Marie Pablo is a young woman from the Dominican Republic who grew up in Miami. Her parents founded La Comunidad Siervos de Cristo Vivo in the Archdiocese of Miami, a lay evangelizing community dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She shared her hopes the Congress will have on the faithful the same hopes she has for herself. >> We know Eucharistic miracles are all cardiac tissue. It's beautiful right? I want people to understand that the Eucharist is a place of refuge and a place for healing, and a place where our hearts can be united with his. Every time I see the Eucharist, I say a prayer in my head and it's, you know, Lord, may I be united to your Most Sacred Heart with as I receive your heart may tune my heartbeat to yours right ? And so I want people to understand that the Eucharist is not just a piece of bread. It's not a symbol like it is Jesus. And that it's a beacon for all of us to rest in and dive in and be united in and like literally , I'm excited for this Congress because it's going to be like the church alive, centered on what makes us alive . Like the Eucharist is the heartbeat of our church, and he is everything that we desire. And so I just want us to be open and to celebrate. And everyone from all cultures and all generations and all languages and all parts of the world that people just know. Like this heart loves you and beats for you and wants you to rest here . >> Father Leo Patalinghug from EWTN savoring the Faith available on demand. The founder of plating Grace . Com creator, author, and speaker. He's also a preacher with the Eucharistic Revival. Welcome to the show. It's so great to see you here. Do you see the faith in the Eucharist and Jesus Christ waning around the world as well ? >> Absolutely. The global church is definitely in need of a Eucharistic revival. And so I'm glad America is taking a lead after 50 years of not having a Eucharistic Congress, because I do believe that the Catholic Church in America , if that is stronger, then I think that people are affirmed in that the fact that America, a new world, believes in the Eucharist, so should we in Europe, in the old world, we need to renew our faith in the Eucharist as well. The Eucharist has always been a struggle for many people , because I think there aren't a lot of opportunities to get to know Jesus well. The Eucharistic Congress gives everyone that opportunity. >> I love that well , you're playing Grace and Grub Truck and other efforts to serve food for the homeless gives a lot of people that opportunity. And at the March for life, you also serve the pilgrims there. Even in the Philippines . We have images of you shared on Instagram where you are doing that beautiful corporal work of mercy. How does this relate to how you view the eternal food that you prepare in the sacrifice of the mass ? >> I write about a theology of food and remember before Jesus gave us the Eucharist, he gave us wine . The first miracle at Cana, bread and fish on the Sea of Galilee . He used food references to describe heaven . He makes the number one thing that separates the sheep and the goat. Did you give food and drink to the hungry for whatever you do, to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me. The fact is, we can't give communion to just everyone, even Catholics who identify as Catholics. They're not permitted to receive communion if they have a mortal sin that has been unconfessed. But we can give a Eucharistic presence in a way, the way Mother Teresa did. She fed people just food, but she made it a blessing, and I guarantee you that Jesus touched people's hearts and minds by going through the stomach. And that's why a theology of food begins with regular food. But then when we invite God into it, it becomes a sacramental until it eventually becomes the sacrament . >> That's so beautiful. Well, you've discussed visiting our Lord Jesus in the Tabernacle as well. So through food, but also now going to that real presence. What's the difference between a liturgical adoration with the exposed toast and sitting alone in church with Jesus in the tabernacle ? >> That's one of the beautiful things about our Catholic faith is that Jesus is present to us all the time , present to us obviously in the liturgy, in the word, in the ordained priesthood, in the congregation, but primarily and perfectly in the Eucharist. And even if people can't receive communion just because of maybe personal reasons , personal sins, and or maybe they didn't do the hour fast, or maybe they're just not spiritually prepared . They can still experience the presence of Christ in the tabernacle. In the monstrance. You see, Jesus can have a relationship with us in so many different ways through the Eucharist, either by receiving communion or just spending time with him in the Blessed Sacrament. And even when you care for the poor and the sick , because remember, whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters , we do to him. >> So many opportunities to be close to our Lord will this sacramental life. >> It truly is a significant difference between Catholics and our brother Protestants . How do you hope or what do you think that the revival will bring to them? >> It'll make them ask questions . Why are these Catholics making such a big deal about a piece of bread and a drop of wine? Well, it's because that's how Jesus chose to reveal his power to us. And I'm so grateful that in the work that I do with plate and Grace, as well as the food truck, I have the opportunity interact with people from all different religions and what I find so surprising is that people, once they understand the Eucharist , their minds are blown because then they realize that all the theology points to Jesus present in the Eucharist. Quick example Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a word in Aramaic that means house of bread in Arabic house of meat. He was placed in a manger , a word from Latin manduka, which means to eat. I mean immediately from the first moment he landed in this earth, on this earth, he was indicating that he is going to be the shepherd. But also the food for the sheep . It's such a powerful reminder that Jesus takes food seriously, which is why he becomes it for us. >> That's right. That bread of life, that daily bread . Quickly from your travels and your Eucharistic preaching , how has that affected you in your relationship with Jesus Christ in your ministry? >> Well, it's humbled me because the body of Christ is not only the sacrament, it's also the people of God. This is what Vatican two wanted to remind everybody of, is that we become what we eat. And so I'm grateful for the US Conference of Bishops and encouraging us preachers. And you know, particularly the Eucharistic revival preachers, to go out there as missionaries and to get people to the banquet . And our job is to make people hungry for what God wants to feed us. And so I'm grateful to know that the church as Mother Church continues to feed her children. >> Well, you certainly make everyone hungry for Christ . So thank you for your ministry and for all that you do. We'll be praying for your travels. >> My pleasure. >> Well, there's still time to sign up for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis . You can sign up through EWTN, head over to EWTN. .com/ Eucharist and click on Register Now to receive a discount . >> The church teaches in the Second Vatican Council that the Treasury of Sacred Music is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. >> Up next, we get to hear part of the official theme song of the National Eucharistic Revival and meet the woman who composed it. Music as a way to offer praise and worship or a way that we can pray twice. It's a strong component of our holy masses on Sundays. And it will also be used. Of course , in the National Eucharistic Congress. EWTN resources brings us the official theme song of the Eucharistic Revival, and introduces us to the woman who composed it. We do. We believe, O Lord , how are we this Diane Mahoney has loved music for as long as she could remember and learned to play both the piano and the organ at a young age . >> For most of her life, she composed music for children and adult choirs, serving as liturgist music director and choir director at various places . Now, besides occasionally composing music, what she enjoys most is playing the organ at her parish in Burlington, Iowa. >> The words and the music come alive and are prayer for me and your. You hope that that's a gift for everybody else. >> So when Mahoney was notified that her original composition, we Do believe, O Lord had been selected as the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress official theme song, she couldn't believe it . She had to reread the email that said, your piece has been chosen and are . >> I started screaming. I scared my granddaughter and I ran down the stairs with her and got my husband because I wanted him to read it to make sure that this was real. >> It was music to her ears. Mahoney admitted that this particular song stemmed from an unfinished piece she started creating years ago, after reading an article in her parish's newspaper about the music competition, she felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit that I'm this humble little person and God raised this song up. >> I mean , from me. I had started this piece literally before Covid, so that's, you know, been a few years ago and, I just couldn't quite get the refrain worked out , but, and I went back and forth. I really wanted to use the text. It's from the gospel of Mark , inspired by the words of the distraught father from Mark's Gospel. >> She used a plural version of his confession of faith help our unbelief. >> I do believe, I do believe, help my unbelief, and I just think it's so human. The response dance, you know, and I think, no one is probably different from me in that I have felt that many times. It's like, I think I believe, but would you help me to really believe, you know, and of course he does . You know, he God will strengthen us, making sure to hit the right note. >> Mahoney also added in the refrain, What Catholics behold in the Eucharist , the holy Body of Christ and the Sacred Blood of Christ. Lastly, after all the bells and whistles, she felt inspired to superimpose the chant tune Adoro te devote over the melody of the refrain. >> So that wonderful tune on do do do do do do do do de da da. It just so happened coincidentally that that tune fit over the refrain came out of a total of 363 submissions for the musical competition. >> It was Mahoney's song that struck a chord with the judges. One of the judges was Jennifer Donelson Nowicki, associate professor and the director of sacred music at Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California . >> We wanted a text that was not only , faithful in in subtle ways to the church's teachings, but faithful in in all the ways that we could think of, you know, that that really expressed aspects of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The music has to be a holy sounding . It has to sound prayerful. It has to sound transcendent and it has to have real beauty . >> Donelson especially loved Mahoney's refrain when I thought that the refrain was really, helpful in in helping focus what the Christian can say throughout their life about the Eucharist, which is Lord, I do believe help my unbelief, you know, because no matter how much we know about the theology of the Eucharist or how much we receive the Eucharist or go to mass, there's always , always more because God is so much bigger than we are, and that refrain really captured that. >> Let's take a listen. >> The choir of Saint John the Baptist Church singing the National Eucharistic Congress's official theme song. We do believe, oh Lord, oh , behold the Holy Body of Christ we believe to be believe. >> Oh Lord , our delle meraviglie , we behold holy war for the sake red blood of Christ . Christ. May we all become what we receive . >> We are . Amen >> Mahoney's peace. The Eucharistic Revivals theme song. We do believe, oh Lord and the chosen official hymn Let the Earth Acclaim Christ Jesus by Kathleen Pluth, will be used in liturgies and events leading up to the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress, where it will be sung by thousands. >> I long to hear them sing it and then obviously we all want the song and the experience of singing to bring us closer to Jesus and closer to what the sacrament is, and God's work will continue through it, I pray. >> Roselle Reyes EWTN news in-depth body of Christ. >> You can hear the entire song at our social media handle EWTN News In Depth on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to like and follow! Thanks for joining us for this special on the National Eucharistic Revival and Congress. See you next week for more news relevant to your living and integrated Catholic life.
