Bishop: Eucharistic Revival events are a historic opportunity to experience healing, hope, and joy

The Northern Cross 

The three-year Eucharistic Revival called for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops may be in the home stretch, but it’s going out with a host of major events, making history for the Diocese of Duluth. 

One of the major ones is the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress May 17-18 in Bemidji, jointly hosted by the Duluth and Crookston dioceses. 

Bishop Daniel Felton says the reasons to attend tie in with what has become a banner for our diocese: the healing, hope, and joy we can only find in Jesus. 

“As that has become more embedded in the fabric of our diocese, the Eucharistic Congress affords us an opportunity to have an experience of that healing, hope, and joy that we can only find in Jesus, in such a powerful way, not only through the sacrament of the Eucharist but also as the Body of Christ, and the people who will come together, for adoration and for the celebration of the Eucharist,” he said. 

He noted that often missionary discipleship can feel like it’s something we’re only doing on our own, or if we have a love for Jesus in the Eucharist, we may be discouraged to see fewer people at Mass. 

But at a Eucharistic Congress we witness many people coming together who have those experiences. “Just the witness of that many people coming together to be that and to do that gives us energy and hope and excitement and renewal ourselves,” he said. 

Another major event is the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the northern Marian Route of which will be passing through the Diocese of Duluth and making several stops, including Walker, Grand Rapids, Coleraine, and Duluth. 

“One of the challenges that we face in our spiritual and sacramental life is things can become so routine that it loses some of its energy …,” the bishop said. “So, the pilgrimage is also for us the opportunity to do something we don’t do often.” 

In fact, he said, never in the history of the church in the United States has there been something like this, with four pilgrimage routes from the four corners of the country converging for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July. 

“And so just the uniqueness of this moment, not only in that kind of a Eucharistic procession but in this time of history certainly is very exciting and I think will be renewing, as well,” he said. 

The bishop said he’s looking forward to accompanying the pilgrimage route in the diocese and prays “it will be a powerful encounter with Jesus.” He said he also sees it as part of the church’s witness, going through the communities in which we live, “giving witness to all people of that presence of Jesus.” 

Bishop Felton said the Eucharist Revival is happening at the perfect time, as the diocese leans into finding hope in Jesus, because it’s a powerful encounter with his Paschal Mystery — his suffering, death, and resurrection. 

“That’s the Paschal Mystery that is being given to us throughout the Mass, and it’s the Paschal Mystery that we are invited into and to become a part of at every Mass,” he said. 

To learn more about the Eucharistic Revival in the Diocese of Duluth and the many events involved in it, please visit www.dioceseduluth.org/eucharistic-revival.