A 2019 survey showed that only about a third of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This sad news has prompted many efforts to catechize and evangelize our own people on this teaching that is one of the most important truths of our faith.

These initiatives include Cardinal O’Malley’s declaration of a Year of the Eucharist for 2020-2021, which was extended to the upcoming Solemnity of Corpus Christi on June 19th. The Archdiocese has also scheduled a Eucharistic Congress on June 18th in Lowell, which we hope many will attend. The speakers are excellent and the talks will be translated into Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole.  Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, TX will be giving a talk in Spanish.

Discount ticket prices are available until May 22nd. Holy Rosary Shrine has purchased a block of tickets but only a few are left. Please contact the office if you are interested.

A mini-catequesis: transubstantiation is the official term that the Church uses to describe the miraculous change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Trans means to change and substantia means substance, what something is. Even though the outward appearances of bread and wine remain, they are no longer bread and wine but the whole Christ, hidden under these Sacramental signs.

This truth has been believed by Christians from the very beginning and has been explained more fully over the centuries, usually in response to errors that have been proposed. The word transubstantiation was first used authoritatively by the Magisterium at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 and then reiterated again at the Council of Trent in the 16th century. It expresses an infallible teaching of our faith taught with the highest authority of an ecumenical council approved by the Pope.

Catholics are obligated to give their full assent to this mystery, trusting that Our Lord protects His Church from teaching error. What a gift that Our Creator became one of us and gives Himself to us in this way!

One of the ways we hope to restore faith and reverence for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is to offer the option to receive Holy Communion while kneeling at the Communion Rail.

We have ordered cushions and hopefully they will arrive in time to begin this practice on the upcoming Solemnity of Corpus Christi. To kneel is a way to acknowledge the presence of the Divine and it is a powerful witness to the truth that that little host is God!

May He bless you always.

–Fr. Peter