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Making parishioners aware of the gift of the Eucharist
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May 3, 2024It all started last August. A few parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Portland ask themselves: How can we ignite the fire in our parish? Soon, they had the idea to join the Eucharistic Revival that the U.S. bishops had started three years ago.
“Our pastor, Fr. Peter Koziel, was very much in favor,” says Norma Ochoa. “We wanted to promote meetings quarterly to deepen our understanding of the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”
Already, adoration is prominently featured in the parish –
since 1992, Our Lady of Mount Carmel has had perpetual adoration in their chapel. “We wanted to expose the Blessed Sacrament for one hour in the Church, and we called it ‘Encounter Night.’” Besides providing this space and music, Ochoa and the core group members looked for speakers. The pastor of the neighboring parish in Rockport, Fr. Ray Yrlas, spoke at the kick-off meeting; Fr. Peter Marsalek from the SOLT community provided a Eucharistic Revival Mini Retreat another time. The response was positive: “More than 200 people attended,” says Ochoa. The quarterly Encounter Nights continue, with some people from neighboring parishes attending.
It also helped the parish members connect with other parishes: “We are sharing ideas—each parish has a different setting, but we can learn from one another and collaborate,” says Norma Ochoa. For example, a specific flyer really catches attention so that other parishes can create a similar one.
Her group also used the study material on Jesus in the Eucharist from the Eucharistic Revival website, inviting parishioners to participate. “Around 50 to 70 people came,” she says. They offered a mini-pilgrimage to the National Shrine San Juan del Valle, and some people gathered every Monday to meditate on the readings for next Sunday.
Only a few members can attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July, but “things don’t stop in July,” says Ochoa. The parish is planning a Rosary Congress and Eucharistic Procession in the Fall. “We truly want to continue to deepen our understanding of the true presence.”
Excited about the Corpus Christi Procession
Meanwhile, people at St. Helena of the True Cross Parish in Corpus Christi are excited about the National Eucharistic Procession. They created T-shirts for the occasion and are trying to get as many parishioners as possible to participate in the Encounter Night at Most Precious Blood and Mass and procession on May 26 at the Cathedral. “We started with a team of six,” shares Caroline Harbin. After the procession, they plan a seminar with four sessions for the parish. “We want to go deeper into what it is all about – Jesus will be walking with us here, and we’ll try to make our parishioners aware of this gift.”
After each Mass, some core group members inform parishioners about the seminar, inviting them to participate in the procession. “It is really Jesus present in the Eucharist – and He wants us to follow Him.”
Find a list of all processions and Encounter Nights here. (diocesecc.org/pilgrim)
