Revival opportunity for healing, renewal

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: 

It is with great hope and excitement that on this solemnity of Corpus Christi (June 19) I announce, in union with the other bishops of the United States, the beginning of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative that aims to renew the church by rekindling a living relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. 

Throughout this Eucharistic Revival, we will be planning, at the diocesan and parish levels, opportunities for prayer, conferences, missions and retreats to help us increase our understanding of our Catholic faith and deepen our belief in the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives. We also hope that this revival will inspire a movement of the Holy Spirit to awaken within each one of us a desire for a deeper personal relationship with Christ in the Holy Eucharist. In 2024, the revival will culminate with a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. 

Why this revival now? In recent years, we have experienced many trials as a nation. These challenges have not only upset our comforting routines, but they have shaken our foundational trust in our institutions, communities and even our church where we have traditionally turned for security, meaning and hope. We are all in need of healing and are looking for answers and ways to deal with the overwhelming challenges of life. 

Unwisely though, in these moments when we need guidance and direction, we all too often look to worldly advice rather than to the very source of wisdom and hope, our Lord  and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Why are members of the faithful not turning to Christ in these troubled times? For some of us, the initial joy and amazement we once felt in receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass has become dimmed. For others, our attendance at Mass feels more like an obligation as we have replaced the love of God with the love of worldly things. For many, a living and personal relationship with Jesus seems impossible. 

It is my hope that the Eucharistic Revival will indicate how far we have moved away from God in our lives and help us rediscover a living relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. 

Whether you are a Catholic with a Eucharistic devotion spanning 50 years, someone who has drifted away from the faith, or a person who has never stepped foot in a Catholic church, I am inviting you to allow the Lord to revive your heart. 

This revival is a time to discover or renew a relationship with Jesus by encountering Him in the Blessed Sacrament, where He is always present and always seeking an encounter with us. We hope you join us on this journey. 

Thus, it is with joy that I announce the Eucharistic Revival in the Diocese of Baton Rouge has officially begun! 

To learn more about our diocese’s Eucharistic Revival, visit diobr.org/eucharistic revival.