PARISHES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES TO START SECOND YEAR OF THE EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL MOVEMENT WITH PROCESSIONS AND TRAVELING EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES EXHIBIT
June 5, 2023  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

—The parochial phase of the Eucharistic Revival Movement will start June 11, 2023—

 

Parishes of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are preparing to start processions on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Sunday, June 11, 2023 on surrounding streets of their locations as part of the second year of the National Eucharistic Revival Movement, which started at the archdiocesan level on June 2022 to encourage Catholics to focus their lives on the Eucharist meaning and significance, the life of Jesus.

“The Eucharist is the mystery of the almighty God’s presence among us, it is a mystery of our Creator’s love, the mystery that he decided to share his divine life, his intended friendship with each one of us,” said Archbishop Gomez. “We mean so much to Him that He offers his body and blood for us. We are worth so much that He would endure the pain of the cross and the shame of the cross so that we can live forever in the fire of his love.”

In June 2022, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles joined the three-year-long National Eucharistic Revival Movement (June 2022 to June 2025) led by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops when the faithful were called to commit to prayer, pilgrimage, and worship to rekindle the fire of their love for Jesus in the Eucharist and renew their relationship and walk with Jesus.

The Archdiocese launched the celebrations on the Feast of Corpus Christi (held same day as Father’s Day) with one-square mile procession around the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, followed by a one-day Eucharistic Conference in August 2022, attended by nearly 3,500 faithful who listened to specialists on the topic, including guest Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, president of the National Eucharistic Congress Corporation.

The idea of a Eucharistic Revival movement developed after a 2019 Pew Research Center’s study revealed that only one third of Catholics understand the meaning of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist. The need to rediscover the meaning of the Eucharist was accelerated by the pandemic, as many Catholics were slowly returning to in-person Mass. The goal is that the faithful are empowered to develop a missionary action by recognizing Jesus in the vulnerable —the hungry, the elderly, the incarcerated, single mothers, the unhoused, among others.

In that effort, Christ the King Parish in Hollywood, and other parishes in the Archdiocese, will be hosting a free traveling International Exhibition of Miracles of the Eucharist Across the World, put together before his death by Blessed Carlo Acutis. The free exhibit will open to the public June 10 at Christ the King School Hall, 617 N. Arden Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and  June 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The exhibition will be hosted by more than 15 parishes through June 2024.

Carlo Acutis was a teenager who died of leukemia, in 2006. The London-born to an Italian family and computer programmer, had a devotion to the Eucharist, reportedly attending daily Mass and communion, and spending hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, setting an example to all, especially to adolescents. He was beatified by Pope Francis on October 10, 2020.

The strategic pillars of the three-year Eucharistic Revival include:

  • To foster encounters with Jesus through the proclamation of the Gospel and experiences of Eucharistic devotion.
  • Contemplate and proclaim the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist through the Truth of our teaching, Beauty of our worship, and Goodness of our accompaniment of persons in poverty and those who are vulnerable.
  • Empower grassroots creativity by partnering with movements, apostolates, parishes, and educational institutions.
  • Reach the smallest unit: parish small groups and families.
  • Embrace and learn from the various rich intercultural Eucharistic traditions.

It is expected that parish activities in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will culminate in the first National Eucharistic Congress on July 17-21, 2024, where thousands of Catholics from across the country will journey on pilgrimage to Indianapolis to personally encounter Jesus in the Eucharist and to be sent back out into their parishes and communities to serve the most vulnerable.

For more information about the National Eucharistic Revival, visit the USCCB’s website, eucharisticrevival.org. For local information visit lacatholics.org/eucharist.

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Under the spiritual leadership of Archbishop José H. Gomez, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest in the United States, serving the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara, covering approximately 9,000 square miles in 120 cities. The nearly 5 million Catholics in the Archdiocese come from some 70 countries and from every continent. Weekly Masses are celebrated in 42 languages throughout 288 parishes, and more than 73,000 students attend an Archdiocesan Catholic elementary or high school. For the latest news, and events and to subscribe for media alerts, visit https://media.la-archdiocese.org