A Eucharistic Revival

Dear Friends in Christ,

Teaching on the Eucharist

In recent years, there has been increasing concern among the bishops in the U.S., over the declining faith of Catholics in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ and is the center of our faith. However, as we face an increasingly secular culture with a growing number of “Nones” – those with no religious affiliation – we find that more and more Catholics do not know that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.

In order to help Catholics come to a more thorough and accurate understanding of the Eucharist, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), at its June 2021 meeting, decided to draft a comprehensive teaching document on the Eucharist. This document will clearly lay out the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist, demonstrate how the Eucharist is central to our lives as Catholic Christians, and convey the importance that our lives be consistent with the faith we profess.

Unfortunately, this document has been grossly misunderstood and mischaracterized by the secular media and has been the source of much confusion. Contrary to popular headlines, the document was not, and was never intended to be, about denying anyone Communion. The matter of whether one should present himself to Communion is a matter to be handled between the individual and his pastor or, if necessary, his bishop, but there were never any plans to draft a national statement or policy on who should be permitted to receive Communion.

Indeed, the vast majority of the document will serve to explain the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the gift of the Eucharist. These are beliefs that have been held by Catholic Christians since the time of Christ, and it is always important to explain them anew for the next generation. The concept of “Eucharistic coherence,” which has garnered such a firestorm of debate, applies to all Catholics. Everyone who professes to be Catholic is obliged to act and speak in a way that upholds Catholic faith and morals, lest they cause scandal by their actions.

Eucharistic Revival

In addition to the teaching document, the bishops also voted to embark upon a threeyear “Eucharistic Revival” that will start next year. This movement was inspired in part by the 2019 PEW study that found only 31% of Catholics believe the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. That sobering reality, along with declining Mass attendance, pointed to the need for an increased focus on catechesis on the Eucharist. The effects of COVID and months without public Masses only served to heighten the need to educate Catholics on the centrality of the Eucharist and the importance of coming back to Mass.

This revival will begin next summer, at the diocesan level. The second year – summer 2023-summer 2024 – will focus on parishes, where people can encounter Jesus Christ on a personal level through opportunities such as Adoration, Reconciliation, and small groups. The third and final year will likely involve a national event, at the end of which “Eucharistic Missionaries” will be sent back to their parishes to continue the ongoing work of building up Eucharistic faith and devotion in their local Church.

The goal of this revival is much more than an increased “head knowledge” of the teachings of the Church, or increased Mass attendance, although those will hopefully be results of this initiative. Even more importantly, however, is for people to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and experience His love for them. Our Triune God offers us His greatest gift in His Son, whose death and resurrection saves us from our sins and opens to us the gates of heaven. In the Eucharist Christ offers Himself to us completely and intimately, and it is my hope that many regular Mass goers, fallen away Catholics, and those who are not Catholic or have no faith at all, can come to experience Jesus Christ’s powerful love and presence in the Eucharist.

Ministry Day and Catechetical Day

Our annual diocesan Ministry Days is normally a two-day event at St. Mary’s University in Winona, gathering clergy and laity from parishes around the diocese to listen to keynote speakers and spend time together in prayer and fellowship. After cancelling last year’s Ministry Days due to COVID, we are now bringing it back, but in a slightly different format this year. On August 26, we will be holding a one day Ministry Day, immediately followed by Catechetical Day on August 27. Both Ministry Day and Catechetical Day will feature Deacon Keith Strohm of M3 Ministries, speaking on “Building a Culture of Discipleship.” The message during Ministry Day will be tailored toward parishes, while Catechetical Day will focus on discipleship in the context of schools and catechetical programs. Both events may either be attended in person in Rochester (Ministry Day at Resurrection Parish and Catechetical Day at Lourdes High School) or via livestream, and there is also the option for Ministry Day to attend in-person with others on the western side of our diocese, at a “satellite” site in Adrian.

As people are returning to parishes after COVID, this is an opportune time to evaluate and assess how our parishes and schools are creating a culture of discipleship, and how we as a Church can live out the Gospel and bring others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. For more information on Ministry Day or Catechetical Day, you can visit the event section of our diocesan website, www.dowr. org, or contact Susan Windley-Daoust (507- 858-1277 or swindley@ dowr.org) , Todd Graff (507-858-1270 or tgraff@ dowr.org), or Marsha Stenzel (507-858-1269 or mstenzel@dowr.org).

Seminarians

As our seminarians end their summer assignments and prepare to transition into a new school year, we will be celebrating a few important steps in their formation. For our three seminarians who will be starting their theological studies this fall, we will be holding the Rite of Candidacy,during which Tim Welch, Isaiah Olsem, and Ben Peters will officially become candidates for holy orders. This rite will be held during the Saturday, August 21, 5:15 pm Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. The following weekend, during the Sunday, August 29, 10:30 am Mass, also at the Cathedral, Brian Klein, Nick Gawarecki, and Adam Worm will be installed as lectors and Ezra Lippert will be installed as an acolyte. These men will then continue on in their theology studies for priestly formation. Please keep them and all our seminarians in your prayers. Blessed are you!

Sincerely in Christ,

+ John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona-Rochester