Last July more than 60,000 faithful gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to celebrate the culmination of the third year of the National Eucharistic Revival – the Year of Mission. Millions participated virtually and witnessed an outpouring of graces as Catholics of all ages committed to pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist and inviting others to join them. A key aspect of the Year of Mission was the Walk With One initiative. The liturgy at Lucas Oil Stadium was not an end but a beginning. Mission is ongoing. The Revival is now the Eucharistic Congress movement.
Fall is a perfect time to renew your prayer life, grow in understanding of the Eucharist, lead others, or simply stay connected to the Congress movement. To facilitate this the National Eucharist Congress has developed an app, appropriately named Manna. The app is described as a hub of Eucharistic formation, prayer, and mission. It includes features such as:
On the app you also can access personal stories of those who accompanied others during the Year of Mission. The app can be obtained from the App Store or Google Play. More information and content can be found on the Manna website: https://manna.eucharisticcongress.org/
On Sunday, September 7, the long-awaited canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati are scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Basilica. These two new saints, while recognized for their appeal to young people, are worthy of emulation by people of all ages. Their lives witness to two important aspects of Eucharistic revival: devotion to the Eucharist and embracing mission.
Carlo Acutis’ love for the Eucharist was not only evidenced by his legacy of having cataloged all known Eucharistic miracles but also of his commitment to attending daily Mass, receiving the Eucharist and spending time in Eucharistic Adoration from the age of seven. Pier Giorgio’s spiritual life and commitment to the poor and needy were likewise fueled and sustained by his devotion to the Eucharist and daily recitation of the rosary. He described his three-fold apostolate as: evangelization by good example, persuasion and charity to the less fortunate. Pier Giorgio noted that each day Jesus came to him in Holy Communion and he would repay Him by visiting Him in the poor. This ultimately led to his contracting a fatal case of polio.
EWTN will provide virtual front row seats to the canonizations. Coverage will take place on Sunday, September 7 at 3 a.m. ET with an encore presentation at 6 p.m. ET. Special programs will be aired leading up to the canonizations. These include:
Times can be found on the EWTN website: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/schedule
A multi-part series hosted by Msgr. James Shae, St. Carlo Acutis: Road Map to Reality, is currently available on the Hallow app.
Let us pray through the intercession of these two new saints for the success of the Eucharistic Congress movement and an increase in devotion to the Eucharist. May God bless you and your families as we journey on mission together.
Sister Marcella Louise Wallowicz CSFN
