A 2019 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that only 31 percent of Catholics believe in the real presence.
In response, the U.S. Church is launching an intentional effort this month to revive devotion to the Eucharist. Beginning on June 19, Corpus Christi Sunday, a three-year campaign begins, culminating with a National Eucharistic Congress in 2024, the first of its kind in nearly 50 years.
The Eucharistic revival initiative will include the development of new teaching materials, training for diocesan and parish leaders, the launch of a dedicated revival website and the deployment of a special team of 50 priests who will travel the country to preach about the Eucharist.
Many catechists who work with First Communicants believe that they are successful in introducing the idea of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, reflected in the reverence that the children show when they receive their First Holy Communion. But unless those lessons are reinforced through regular participation in Mass, continuing faith formation classes, and in the sharing of faith in the family home, skepticism about the Eucharist can begin to creep in as they move into teenage years and early adulthood. In a typical class of 20 middle school aged students, only about two or three attend Mass regularly, said catechist Diana Perez, so for the rest the idea of the real presence “is mind boggling for them.”
Blessed Carlo Acutis, the Italian young adult who used his computer skills to share online content about Eucharistic miracles, will be the patron of the national eucharist revival’s first year. Perez has used some of Acutis’ videos to teach her older students about the Eucharistic miracles. Soto said that while many of her students were unfamiliar with the Eucharistic miracles, they have become a persuasive tool for her in teaching the real presence. “They need more exposure to the mysticism of our faith,” she said.
Many local catechists agree that the early lessons about the Eucharist are not enough to sustain belief and connection for a lifetime.
“I actually didn’t know the teachings of the Church when I was young, it was me having to do that journey alone as an adult woman,” said Crystal Ramos, a catechist at Holy Family parish in Hesperia. “So, I tell my students, ‘Please keep coming to classes here at the parish so you don’t forget the importance of what is actually happening at Mass.’ ”
Added Perez, “I came back to Christ when I was about 25. I had a retreat experience that helped me to make a relationship with Him.” Soon after, she heard the call to become a catechist.
“I want others to know what I have found.”
Full story at Inland Catholic Byte.
It rests with parents. At my parish about half of the families stop going to Mass after the child’s first communion because they only did it to please grandma.
At my parish likewise Confirmation is like a goodbye ceremony. Never see the teens in church again after that.
I want to make some comments about the Real Presence in our lives.
First of all, I want to recommend a book. “The Real Presence” by St Peter Julian Eymard. It is a simple book with very relatable understanding of Christ presence in the eucharist. It seemed clear to me that he had a true love of our eucharistic Lord and was keen to share in his beautiful way.
Secondly, I am pleased of the efforts by the Church to make the gift of Christ better understood. The terrible effrontery to our Lord that we have all observed is worthy of reparation and prayer.
Thirdly, for those confused or repelled by the idea of body and blood, make an effort to educate yourself. God is generous and will reward you many times over for your attempts to better know Him.
I have two suggestions that may not resonate with many (any?) but here they are anyway. 1. Return to the practice of ad orientem. 2. Restore the altar rail and have people receive kneeling and on the tongue. Rationale for 1: The absence of faith in the Eucharist is reflective of the absence of the sense of God. Let the priest pray in the same direction as the people so that the common focus is God, not the priest. Rationale for 2: kneeling is a humble posture befitting those who would encounter God. It marks the solemnity of receiving Jesus’ body and blood, soul and divinity. Receiving on the tongue communicates the idea that this moment is unlike any other and should be treated as such.
We so need a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist. If you would like to help with that in your parish or diocese, I encourage you to check out the link below from the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance. It’s one resource you and others might use to help the Church grow toward that end.
https://www.catholicmenleaders.org/revival
Catholics have lost the reverence to our Eucharistic Lord, I see some of my Catholic brothers and sisters talking, laughing while waiting to receive. I feel like we need to go back to the kneelers and maybe not form a long line maybe one pew at a time? I am also distracted when the music continues to play, while I am meditating on the miracle I just received. I miss the old order that I grew up with. I still love my faith and all the sacraments, but more needs to be done. I am forever CATHOLIC!
Roger thanks for your beautiful post. I think a little catechesis goes a long way. I was an EMHC a number of decades back at a very crowded church, and in the station at the back where dozens of people were crammed in and standing. Giving communion in a personal and reverent way was difficult sometimes people would reach over other people. I have no doubt about their faith, they were mostly devout latino and filipinos, but it was a little much. One word to the pastor, who didn’t ever know what was going on because he was in the front all the time, and he found a gentle way the next week to remind folks of proper etiquette, and that’s all it took to correct the situation.
You’re in luck. The Eucharistic revival starts on Sunday. Everything will be fine now.
Let the priest pray in the same direction as the people so that the common focus is God, not the priest. I hear this suggestion fairly often. I find, personally, that the priest facing the people puts more emphasis on what is happening on the altar than when the priest faces away from the congregants. You can see what he is doing, instead of wondering. I find most priests are reverent at the altar.
The priest faces Christ over the altar when talking to him and turns and faces the people when talking to them. The sacrificial part of the mass is expressed better with a large crucifix overhead for all to see. There is a great deal of Church history in the 1962 Missals and why certain changes were made a little at a time.
Even people who cannot read, often learn the Mass by heart, just as they do at the newer Masses. Many of the churches of the Middles Ages were Bibles written in stone for those who could not read.
The prayers of the liturgy of the Eucharist are addressed to God the Father, not Jesus
Soo? Isn’t the Lord Jesus part of the Holy Trinity? God too?
By the way, the prayers toward Christ over the altar are addressed to all three persons. Look at your 1962 missal again.
In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritui sancti —– and the Kyrie among many others.
Sigh!
Yes, ad orientem worship is a canard being promoted by quasi-Trads to make themselves seem like they worship better.
“Yes, ad orientem worship is a canard being promoted by quasi-Trads to make themselves seem like they worship better.” What a rash judgment, void of careful thought and due consideration of the experience of others. From my point of view, truly disgusting.
The church needs to turn its back on the Novus Ordo mass, which is a false mass, and return to the true Mass. The Mass established by Christ and the Apostles, which is doctrinal, not “traditional’.
Only then will the real presence return, for Christ will not be presence in a false mass.
I suggest you people watch the Mass of the ages for that is what the true Mass is; timeless, universal, and a gift from God, while the Novus Order mass is nothing more than a anti-mass. A new world order mass.
JM, I don’t where you ever heard stuff like that but it is wrong. Obviously, the TLM is not the Mass established by Christ and the Apostles in their earthly lives. It is through the Holy Catholic Church that they established it and what you refer to as the Novus Ordo also was established by Christ through the Holy Catholic Church.
Christ is present in every Catholic tabernacle.
You seem to hold the views of some of the schismatics. I hope you are just confused and not really in mortal sin.
Pray to St. Michael and the Holy Spirit. Do you know the prayer known as the secret of sanctity by Cardinal Mercier?
I assume that you pray the Rosary, but if you do not, please start.
People in mortal sin cannot bring themselves out of it.
I hope this is true ignorance or a result of being misinformed and not just an attempt by a schismatic to mislead more people.
I will pray for you. With love in Christ.
Good Lord. If Jesus and the apostles celebrated the TLM, don’t you think the Didache and other early church documents would have it in? Even the Canon is not in the early documents, even though there were eucharistic prayers in some of them.
And by the way, I too watched Mass of the Ages, and I completely agree with the comment by “kabuki mass” below. Even that pseudodocumentary talks about the evolution of the TLM over centuries.
Joseph Martinez , is a HERESY what you wrote: “The church needs to turn its back on the Novus Ordo mass, which is a false mass.”
A million thumbs up for this correct comment. (Please, webmaster, manually give it 1,000,000 thumbs up.) Trads are digging in their heels and speaking in schismatic ways.
The Mass of the Ages documentary is propaganda. A hit piece on Bugnini. It is misleading about the Novus Ordo. I’ve watched it.
Pope Francis was right to begin phasing out the use of the 1962 Missal. Adherents of the TLM are not interested in walking with the Church. They just want what they want: their time-capsule kabuki Mass.
Tony de New York:
long time, no see
good to see you again!
Revive devotion to the Eucharist? How about these novus ordo bishops putting all Tabernacles, which house the Holy Eucharist, back on the center of all Church Altars.
Mo, a few things for your consideration. First, I believe in the Real Presence with every fibre of my being; if I didn’t I couldn’t remain a Catholic. Second, if the tabernacle relocation is accomplished by placing it on some mere pedestal somewhere—a kind of after-thought unadorned with candles and flowers and failing to inspire Eucharistic adoration outside of Mass—I AGREE with you completely. Let the tabernacle remain in the sanctuary, in a prominent place near the Altar so that attention is drawn to it immediately upon entering the church!
Yet I believe that putting the already reserved Real Presence in a tabernacle elevated above the Altar of sacrifice, diminishes that Altar’s unique place where the Real Presence is PRESENTLY confected in the here-and-now for here-and-now participation and adoration.
Let me describe a Eucharistic Chapel which is functional, aesthetically perfect and entirely fit for private adoration. It’s in a parish church near me [which LOOKS like a church inside and out]. The Holy Eucharist Chapel [a dedicated space and NOT merely a side altar] is placed at the right of the sanctuary, separate but very close to the sanctuary’s right side. It is immediately visible to all entering the church, from whatever entrance. It indeed looks like a true chapel: arched stone entrance; beautiful frosted glass doors which can be closed it when the church isn’t open. The tabernacle rests at the rear of the chapel on a LARGE marble block who’s entire front is a mosaic of Eucharistic symbols, and is always adorned by 4 large lit candles and bouquets of fresh flowers. There are 20-30 pews for private adoration.
Locking up the Eucharist during the pandemic did not help at all.
Adoration hasn’t done much. I mean, did the early church have adoration? No. It’s a Medieval practice. Do it if it works for you, but don’t think you’re going to get more than a dozen people at your holy hour.
The belief in the Real Presence is believed by 94% of the Catholics who responded to the Synod Survey in the Diocese of Knoxville.
Eucharistic Adoration was a practice introduced to counter act certain Protestant heresies such as the denial of Christ true presence in the Holy Eucharist (Transubstantiation).
Sound familiar? It most certainly does!
There is a Catholic Shrine here in California that was open 24/7 before COVID, and there were multitudes of adorers of the Holy Eucharistic during all that time. It has reopened since and still has a multitude of adorers. Many people slip into Catholic churches that have schools and are open during the day to pray and adore the Lord on the altar there. Many Catholics, including tourists, go into the Missions and pray and adore when they are open to the public, so what “medieval” says is not true at all here in California. If people feel safe, they go to adoration.
I have often seen priests, serving either the Ordinary Mass or Extraordinary Mass or both, go to a tabernacle that is in the middle of a high altar in back of a movable altar and take out already consecrated hosts to distribute to the people when they run out of hosts. Having the tabernacle in the middle of an altar is both practical and an encouragement of Eucharistic Adoration.
” I mean, did the early church have adoration?” That is a question for a Protestant to ask, not a Catholic. It matters not a whit whether or not the early church practiced adoration. We Catholics believe in Tradition, and adoration is an important part of that Tradition.