Dear Friends,
The month of May is often associated with First Holy Communions, May Processions and priestly ordinations. It was on May 1, 1855, the day of her first Holy Communion, that our Foundress, that Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd gave herself completely to God. At the heart of this month is the theme of Eucharist. Pope Saint John Paul II reflected in his book, Gift and Mystery, which he wrote on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood, “without the priesthood, there would be no Eucharist… and without the Eucharist, there would be no priesthood!”
In a few short weeks we will begin the largest Eucharistic procession in the world with pilgrims accompanying Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on foot, by motorcade, and even by boat, along four routes from four corners of the United States. The Vatican recently announced that several key events in the National Eucharistic Revival are now opportunities for gaining a plenary indulgence. Anyone who participates in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage or attends the 10th National Eucharistic Congress will be granted this special remittance of temporal punishment associated with confessed sins under the usual conditions of the indulgence which includes confession, receiving Holy Communion, and prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions. The final condition is that you must be free from all attachment to sin, including venial sin.
Every stop along each of the four pilgrimage routes and participation in the Congress are opportunities for obtaining this indulgence. Complete information on the pilgrimage routes can be found at https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org. If you are unable to join the pilgrimage, you can plan your own. This can be visiting a shrine or some Eucharistic-focused activity. Ideas on how to plan a personal pilgrimage can be found at https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/plan-your-own-pilgrimage. In addition to the prospect of obtaining a plenary indulgence, if you attend the Eucharistic Congress in July, you will have the opportunity to participate in large-scale liturgies, hear dynamic speakers, and experience opportunities for quiet prayer and faith sharing, during “impact sessions.”
There have been several recent additions to the National Eucharistic Revival website. The Eucharistic Prayer Companion and a video library can now be accessed from the main website at https://www.eucharisticrevival.org. Videos include the first recorded Eucharistic miracle at Lanciano, Italy and biographies of Eucharistic martyrs. New resources for families, parishes, schools as well as personal prayer and reflection are also being added frequently at https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/serve-your-parish.
As we continue our celebration of the Easter Season, let us support our priests with our prayers and encouragement. Without them we would not have this great gift of the Eucharist. Please pray, too, for an increase of vocations to the priesthood. Many children made or will be making their First Communion in parishes throughout the country. May their love for our Eucharistic Lord increase with each reception. Let us also continue to pray for each other for a deepening of our relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Blessings during this month of the Eucharist,
Sister Marcella Louise Wallowicz, CSFN
