For Catholics, the month of May evokes memories of May processions, First Holy Communions, and priestly ordinations. Our spiritual life has a Marian dimension with a profound link between Mary and the Eucharist. In his encyclical, Mother of the Redeemer, Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us that “Mary guides the faithful to the Eucharist” (par. 44). Mary has a special relationship with the priesthood. Pope Benedict XVI invoked her as the Mother of priests. “Her spirit of service inspires the priestly ministry. They are more like Jesus, the supreme love of her heart, and because, like her, they are committed to the mission of proclaiming, bearing witness to, and giving Christ to the world (General Audience, August 15, 2009).”
Pope St. John Paul II had a special place in his heart for young men preparing for the priesthood. Each Holy Thursday during his pontificate (1979-2005), he wrote a letter to seminarians. In his first letter, he asked them to “think of the places where people anxiously await a priest, and where, for many years, feeling the lack of such a priest, they do not cease to hope for his presence.” This past Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, we celebrated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Pope Leo marked this day in Saint Peter’s Basilica by ordaining 10 deacons to the priesthood. Without our priests, we would not have this great gift of the Eucharist. Let us support them with our prayers and encouragement. Let us also pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood.
This past week, we, Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, also commemorated the death anniversary of Venerable Sister Malgorzata Banas CSFN, the twelfth Sister of Nowogrodek. During the years of Communism, following the execution of our eleven Blessed Martyred Sisters, Sister Malgorzata lived in the tiny sacristy of the village church and continued to prepare children for the sacraments. When the parish priest went into hiding for his own safety, Sr. Malgorzata maintained the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the church and was instrumental in keeping alive the faith of the townspeople.
In a few short weeks, a group of young people will embark on the 2026 Eucharistic Pilgrimage. In commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence and in recognition that all of us are pilgrims on a journey, the theme is One Nation Under God, celebrating the gifts and blessings we have received as a nation.
As fuel for your personal Revival journey, the National Eucharistic Congress developed the Manna app and is offering it free of charge. The app contains important resources such as:
These, along with additional Eucharistic materials, can be found at https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/. Here, you can also subscribe to weekly email updates,
God bless you and your families as we continue to strive closer to our Eucharistic Lord throughout this Easter Season. May we also strive to serve God and others.
Sister M. Marcella Louise Wallowicz CSFN
