I believe that the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work in the Catholic Church in our nation today. At their meeting in November of 2021 the bishops of the United States overwhelmingly approved efforts to be implemented in every diocese of our country that will unleash the powerful movement of the National Eucharistic Revival.
So, what is this movement of Eucharistic Revival and why is it so important for the Church today? We have all experienced in our parishes a significant decline in the number of people coming to Mass and receiving the Sacraments in the recent past. Our own diocesan assessments have shown that this is a reality. We have also heard surveys report that among the Catholics who regularly attend Mass, about two-thirds do not believe or understand that the Holy Eucharist is truly the substantial Presence of Jesus Christ.
This weakened belief is a big concern for us. The Holy Eucharist is a foundational teaching coming from the Lord Jesus Himself, who said to His disciples as He blessed the bread and the wine at the Last Supper, “Take, eat, this is my body” and then, “Take, drink it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant…” (Mt 26:26-27). He also said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6:51). It sounds like we need to do some vigorous proclamation of the truth that the Second Vatican Council taught, that “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian Life” (Lumen Gentium 11). Because it is the source and summit, the Eucharist cannot be not just a symbol or a metaphor. It is not a thing. The Holy Eucharist is a Person, Jesus Christ truly present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. As Pope St. John Paul II noted, “the Church draws her life from the Eucharist.”(Ecclesia de Eucharistia #1)
I would also add a renewed clearer and deeper faith in the Holy Eucharist will build up the Church. All of us in the Church will come to see and believe that the Holy Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ Himself in our midst loving us, saving us, and giving us eternal life.
Now that we see the need for a Eucharistic Revival, let’s look at how it will unfold.
The Eucharistic Revival movement’s mission is this: “To renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.” This statement tells us that the revival is all about deepening our relationship with the Lord. It tells us that Jesus loves us unconditionally and gives Himself to us at Mass in Holy Communion. When we come to Mass, we are not coming only to a service or for entertainment—we are coming to encounter Jesus Himself.
The vision of the Eucharistic Revival is an exciting one—“A movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and sent out in mission ‘for the life of the world’ (Jn 6:51).”
The Eucharistic Revival is all about each of us falling more in love with and becoming more united to Jesus Christ Our Savior. It is also all about our being sent forth as Eucharistic missionaries, as missionary disciples, to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior of all. It is a tremendous gift that will highlight for us what the mission of the Church truly is – to bring many people to Jesus Christ and then to send them out to proclaim the truth of Christ to all the world.
I am so honored and happy that Bishop Zubik has asked me to serve as the point person for the National Eucharistic Revival in our own beloved diocese. Know that I will do my utmost in working with our priests, deacons, religious and faithful laity in making it bear great fruit here. Stay tuned for further exciting news about our Eucharistic Revival!
Yes, I do firmly believe that the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work in the Church today. It sounds like the National Eucharistic Revival is just what we need in our own diocese and in the Church throughout our nation.
May the Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time!
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh