Fewer than one-third of Catholics believe the Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Pew Research Center found in a recent poll. The majority of America’s self-identified Catholics – 69 percent, according to the poll – are either ignorant or simply mistaken about what the Catholic Church teaches on the Eucharist.
“As bishop of the diocese of Oakland, I find this shocking,” the Most Rev. Michael Barber, SJ, wrote in a letter to the faithful.
As part of the bishop’s response to the findings, he has called for a diocesan-wide Eucharistic Congress on June 19-20 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland.
“With the theme ‘Stay with us, Lord!’ (Lk 24:29), I invite all the faithful of our diocese to reflect upon the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives, and to reaffirm our call to be a people nourished, fed and molded by the Eucharist itself — just as the disciples were on the road to Emmaus,” Bishop Barber wrote.
The June 19 portion of the event is designed for priests of the diocese. They will gather to hear a spiritual talk, hear from the bishop and will pray with young people of the diocese, who will lead Eucharistic Adoration until 11 p.m.
This will give “a chance for the priests to pray with the young people of our diocese, and a chance for the young to experience the faith of our priests,” said the Very Rev. Brandon Macadaeg, rector of the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
The next day, June 20, will be a day of prayer, speakers and Masses, in both English and Spanish, with a public procession of the Blessed Sacrament on the streets bordering the cathedral.
A committee of priests, deacons and lay people have planned a Saturday event to engage and inspire the faithful.
The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a talk in English by Franciscan University-educated evangelist Michael Gormley from Texas, followed by Mass celebrated by Bishop Barber.
After the Mass, Congress attendees will begin a procession that will depart the cathedral to carry the Eucharist around the city blocks bordering the cathedral. Those planning to attend the Spanish-language track are invited to the cathedral plaza to take part in the procession.
The above comes from a story dated Feb. 10 in the Catholic Voice.
Read Bishop Barber’s letter here.
You handle the Eucharist like popcorn and you are surprised that Catholics consider it as such?
Good for you, Bishop Barber. May more bishops do the same.
Your Excellency, do communicants in the Diocese receive the host kneeling and on the tongue?
I find it shocking that the Bishop finds this finding shocking.
Would love to see a poll from FSSP, SSPX goers on belief in the Real Presence and compare.
Get rid communion in the hand.
Bring back altar rails
Get rid of the EMHC.
Come, come Bishop Barber, these numbers are well known. Are you not aware of the recent Pew Poll that found similar numbers (and there are many, many others). In fact, if you are so ignorant of what is truly happening in the Catholic Church today, notwithstanding such literature, perhaps you should resign.
Bishops are fundamentally at fault for the terrible levels of teaching the True Catholic Faith to its members over the past decades. Many such issues of practice versus teaching are evident today, including teachings on the immoral nature of homosexual sex, fornication, receiving communion after divorce without annulment, and many others.
Nope, nope, nope. Sounds like Nuremberg to me.
I cannot bear to even go inside poor Bishop Barber’s weird “cathedral!” Many years ago, I could hardly bear to go inside the weird, new St. Mary’s Cathedral, in San Francisco! Not a place for Catholic worship, for me — though I was deeply involved there, for many years! If you want true practice of the Catholic Faith– why not end all the sick, modernist experiments– and let’s have a real Catholic church– very holy, beautiful, and deeply inspiring!!– and re-establish true practice of our holy Catholic Faith there! Millions of new converts — and Catholic “reverts”– would come for Mass and religious devotions, as well as regular Catholics! Great place for a lovely Catholic Wedding, and raising a Catholic family! We need our traditional Faith so badly!
In fairness to Bishop Barber and about “his” cathedral, we should remember that it was built three bishops before his arrival there. It was built by Bishop John Cummins (before Archbishops Vigneron and Cordileone served there). As in Orange County, some bishops inherit buildings designed, approved and built under their predecessors. Given the high cost, they cannot abandon them, yet, they often try to change them to make them more suitable for Catholic worship.
The Cathedral was originally initiated under the leadership of Bishop John Cummins
and Santiago Calatrava and company won the commission from the Oakland Diocese,
But by 2003 when Bp Vigneron was Bishop of Oakland, Calatrava’s company and designs were relinquished.
This would have been the perfect opportunity to re-envision a divine Cathedral.
A new group ( Craig Hartman – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill ) and his new design were adopted by Bp Vigneron.
Bp Vigneron and his local planning committee are responsible for the result.
Anonymous Clergyman – Respectfully asking – Can you tell us whether you are a Priest or Deacon?
I recently was in LA and went to the new Cathedral there. In my opinion, the outside of both the SF and Oakland Cathedrals are much more symbolic of our faith. As to the inside, I did love the LA cathedral. Its slopes downward to give unrestrained visual access to the altar, and many spaces in and around the altar make it accessable for anyone who wants to be even closer. And the procession of saints on the side walls is absolutely astounding, to me at least. We are all saints on our journey together to our Father. Although I like the stained glass widnows in the ceiling of St Mary’s envelops us all in the Cross, otherwise, the rest of the interior leaves me cold. Oakland is meh on th einside, Just my opinions. I am sure many are inspired to worship in each of those spaces.
Bishop Barber should implement a good Catechism program for Catholics of all ages, in his Diocese! He should make sure everyone knows well, proper requirements, and correct preparation, for reception of Holy Communion! He should also make it clear, the conditions for a priest to deny reception of Holy Communion to a wayward, unrepentant Catholic (like Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, etc.) — and be very serious about it! (how about excommunication of Pelosi, Biden, etc.?? seriously!!)
I noticed Oakland’s St. Lawrence O’Toole parish is using the Alpha Program which Church Militant has warned as being protestantized and misleading.
Perhaps Catholic schools teaching should emphasize the Presence. It wasn’t in my children’s elementary middle or high schools.