‘Eucharistic witnesses in the world’

SUNDAY: Pilgrims bring Jesus through 5 miles of city streets on third and final day of National Eucharistic Pilgrimage events in St. Louis

By Laura Kosta

On the final day of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the eucharistic procession came to a halt just a few hundred feet from its last destination of St. Stephen Protomartyr Church in south St. Louis.

Father John Anthony Boughton, CFR, brought the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance over to Thomas Lorenz and his parents, standing on the curb. Father John Anthony blessed Thomas, laying a hand on his head and bringing Jesus close.

Thomas, a rising sixth-grader at St. Stephen Protomartyr School, has leukemia and is awaiting a bone marrow transplant in the fall.

“I was thinking about all those (Gospel) stories that talk about Jesus preaching in the streets and going to the people. And that is specifically what He would do, right? He would go right to the sick and touch them,” said Carol Anne Lorenz, Thomas’ mother. “At first, I was thinking: wow, that’s so crazy that they’re doing this big important thing, and they want to stop and give a blessing to my kid. And then I was like — oh wait, that’s actually what Jesus would do.”

The eucharistic procession had begun nearly three hours earlier at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski celebrated 10 a.m. Mass to begin the third and final day of events with the St. Junipero Serra western route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, an initiative of the National Eucharistic Revival.

Throughout history, Jesus has brought His life-giving presence to the world, “a presence that is not dimmed, even by our human lack of faith and skepticism,” Archbishop Rozanski said during his homily to a packed cathedral.

“In our own day and age, we too, in the midst of skepticism and doubt, need that reminder in our lives of what the presence of Jesus means for us,” he said. “In the midst of violence and a world that seems to have gone so much astray, there is that calming presence of the Lord, nourishing us, helping us on our pilgrim way to be a people who bring His presence to others, to be a people who nourish and sustain others, because we ourselves are nourished and sustained by Him who gives us life.”

After Mass, the procession set off from the cathedral basilica down Taylor Avenue, creating a sea of witnesses on the sidewalk two to three blocks long. The 5.5-mile route to St. Stephen Protomartyr led the crowd down major roads including Tower Grove Avenue through Tower Grove Park and Morgan Ford Road past the Bevo Mill, assisted by police officers stopping traffic at street crossings.

Near the Shaw neighborhood, a handful of parishioners from St. Margaret of Scotland Parish came to pray by the side of the road as the procession passed by.

“It makes me, personally, mindful of all the variety of experiences we have of meeting Christ in the world,” said Orin Johnson, the parish’s director of music and liturgy. At Mass that morning, “I received Jesus, saw Jesus in the congregation and the proclamation of the Gospel, and now in this kind of unique way that’s leading to the historic event in Indianapolis in a couple of weeks.”

The mid-day sun beat down as temperatures rose to about 90 degrees, but volunteers with coolers of ice-cold water and washcloths every mile or so kept the pilgrims hydrated and on their feet. The group prayed the Rosary and sang hymns, waving to several people who came out onto on their porches, looked through windows and peered over fences at the procession.

Clare Plaisance, a parishioner at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, walked the whole route with her husband and three children, ages 8, 5 and 2.

“It’s a really great opportunity to just physically, with your body, follow Jesus,” she said. “…It was such a grace to be, with our community, bringing Jesus to the city.”

The procession ended with eucharistic adoration at St. Stephen and time for refreshments and fellowship. The eight perpetual pilgrims departed shortly after adoration to travel to their next stop in the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, as they make their way to Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

Olivia Simi, of Toledo, Ohio, participated in all three days of pilgrimage events in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The best parts were the times of eucharistic adoration, she said, “just kneeling in front of Christ and recognizing His presence. You can really feel it — it’s so strong and amazing.”

“I think it’s beautiful to do all of this, just to recognize Him and know Him deeper, and to see it all way bigger than we would just being by ourselves,” she said.

Seven sisters of the Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr St. George participated in Sunday’s procession, as well as several Missionaries of Charity.

“I love to watch the reactions of people who didn’t expect this today, and some people who didn’t know what this was, just stumbling upon it and kneeling and bowing,” Sister M. Anselma, FSGM, said. “Even if they weren’t Catholic, you could tell — they were waving, they were drawn, and that’s always such a beautiful witness.”

The encouragement of others helped Sister M. Paula, FSGM, keep going during the long, hot walk, she said.

“(The procession) was getting kind of long for me, and then this woman came up to me and she said, ‘We’re over halfway! We’re going to make it!’ I said, ‘Praise God!’” Sister M. Paula said with a laugh.

The sisters are looking forward to participating in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage again when it passes through Alton, Illinois, and they continue to pray for the fruitfulness of the Eucharist Revival as it enters its third year.

“We’re praying that these graces just really sink into our whole nation and bring growth that perhaps we don’t even see, yet is long-term meaningful for what the Lord intends,” Sister M. Anselma said.

SATURDAY: Second day of events in St. Louis showcase a “unity in the Body of Christ”

By Jennifer Brinker

Jaella Mac Au wiped the sweat from her brow as she helped unload the heavy boxes from a van.

The boxes, containing cooking necessities such as rice, flour and oil, and other personal care and household items, were spread out in an open field, ready to be delivered to refugee families living in an adjacent apartment complex in north St. Louis. Sixty-one parishes had prepared the boxes as part a service project for the Eucharistic Revival in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Before they were distributed, Mac Au and other volunteers stopped to pray over the boxes with the Missionaries of Charity, who regularly visit with the refugee families at the apartments.

The service project, held on July 6, was one of several that Mac Au and other young adult “perpetual pilgrims” have experienced traveling along the St. Junipero Serra western route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Even though their time with the refugee families was short, Mac Au said there’s a definite connection between the Eucharistic Pilgrimage and service to others.

“It’s all about unity in the Body of Christ and how the Lord is broken, blessed and given to everyone,” she said. “For a lot of places, we’ll only be there for an hour and we truly see the impact that we are able to have in just the giving of ourselves. Sometimes without even speaking — just by the giving of our muscles and our sweat, it’s showing them the face of Jesus and the love of our Lord.”

The perpetual pilgrims began the second day of their St. Louis visit at the Missionaries of Charity for a eucharistic holy hour led by Auxiliary Bishop Mark S. Rivituso. More than 70 people filled the soup kitchen for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a Rosary with meditations written by Missionaries of Charity foundress St. Teresa of Kolkata.

Jane Doru and her daughters Olivia Simi and Poni Taban knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament as the sisters led the joyful mysteries. The three traveled to St. Louis — Doru and Taban from Toldeo, Ohio, and Simi from Columbia, Missouri — to be part of the Eucharistic Pilgrimage events. The three wanted to go to the Eucharistic Congress later this month in Indianapolis, but their plans had fallen through, so they decided to visit St. Louis instead.

Taban described kneeling before Jesus in the Eucharist at the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in St. Charles the previous day as a powerful experience. “That was the closest I was to Him. And then I told them keep their phones on while we were (processing) on the road because I was gonna be right behind the Knights (of Columbus). I was right there next to Jesus.”

After the Holy Hour at the Missionaries of Charity, Bishop Rivituso processed the Eucharist to nearby St. Josephine Bakhita Parish (Sts. Teresa and Bridget Church) for continued adoration while the Boxes of Mercy were being delivered.

Sister Drita Maris, local superior of the Missionaries of Charity, called to mind the sisters’ mission of serving the poorest of the poor and how all of that is rooted in a love for Jesus.

“Mother says, when we adore Him in the Eucharist, we also see Him in the poor,” she said.

Just as the service project wrapped up, another eucharistic procession was held, this time a one-mile route from St. Josephine Bakhita to St. Matthew the Apostle in the Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. As the crowd of about 50 people processed along Kennerly Avenue just in view of the church, parishioners stood outside with handmade welcome signs, ready to receive the pilgrims for Mass.

After Mass, Kaye Graham-Bailey stood outside of church to greet visitors and direct them to the reception. She entered the Church at St. Matthew 14 years ago, in part due to the influence of friends who were Catholic.

The Eucharist “breathes new life into me,” Graham-Bailey said. “It renews me, and I see things different, I feel things different. Things that used to bother me don’t bother me anymore. I don’t get stuck on the little things. I ask God to help me to see what He wants me, see say what He wants me to say and do what He wants me to do.”

Patty Renschen from St. Raymond-St. Elizabeth Maronite Catholic Church in Crestwood, who attended Mass at St. Matthew with her husband, Steve, wanted to participate in the Eucharistic Pilgrimage events as a sign of her belief in the Real Presence of the Eucharist.

“I feel strongly that it is Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and I feel it’s very important at this point in time to witness to that,” she said. “I believe this is bringing many graces to our archdiocese. Just having the opportunity to have the pilgrimage come through our city, I wanted to be a part of that and to witness to my love for the Blessed Sacrament.”

Francisco Gonzalez traveled from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to attend the pilgrimage events in St. Louis. Along the way, he met up with his sister, Cristina Gonzalez, who serves at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Francisco and Cristina also participated in pilgrimage events in Chicago (part of the Marian route), and Francisco joined up with the pilgrimage in Steubenville, Ohio (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton route).

The siblings said they hope the Eucharistic Revival will open the doors to a renewed love for the Eucharist across the country. “Obviously, this isn’t happening for no reason,” Francisco Gonzalez said. “I think that the Church sees the need. For our priests, I think it encourages them and energizes them — it lets them know that the faithful care and are devoted.”

Jane Brown said she, too, hopes that the Eucharistic Revival will bring people closer together. Brown entered the Church decades ago when her son attended Catholic school and she took instructional classes to learn more about the faith.

“Right away, I said, this makes sense,” said Brown, a longtime member of St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist Church in St. Louis. In addition to learning about the sacraments — including the Eucharist — she also was introduced to the deeper elements of why the Church teaches what it does.

“We truly believe this is the Body of Christ,” she said.

FRIDAY: ‘We’re here because we love Jesus’: Nearly 1,000 join National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for St. Charles events

By Laura Kosta

As nearly 1,000 people processed with the Blessed Sacrament down First Capitol Avenue in St. Charles, Kate Lloyd stopped her car, got out and knelt down on the hot pavement.

Lloyd and two children, ages 7 and 1, hadn’t made it to the official National Eucharistic Pilgrimage events that day. So when they saw Jesus passing by on the street, Lloyd felt overwhelming relief, she said, pausing as tears filled her eyes.

“We just wanted to get a glimpse,” she said. “That’s all.”

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, an initiative of the National Eucharistic Revival, began May 18-19 on four routes starting from California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Texas. Young adult “perpetual pilgrims” are traveling with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament across the country and will converge in Indianapolis on July 17 for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

The St. Junipero Serra western route arrived in the Archdiocese of St. Louis on July 5. At St. Charles Borromeo Church in St. Charles, people filled every pew, knelt in the aisles and spilled out onto the sidewalk outside for the opening Divine Mercy Chaplet.

The crowd then processed with the Eucharist, held aloft in a gold monstrance by Deacon Steve Moeller, to the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne for a Holy Hour. Since the crowd was so large, people took turns entering the shrine to pray.

Sue Gillen, a parishioner at Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie, sat down on a curb while waiting to go inside. She had recently had foot surgery but decided to walk in the procession anyway, she said.

“I believe it’s a beautiful opportunity to share our love of Jesus and His blessings with the world,” Gillen said. “And the more people that are here, the more it illustrates and demonstrates that.”

She cried when she saw Jesus in the monstrance arrive at the church, she said — and that’s common for her at Mass, too.

“Every Mass, as I go to receive Communion, I see Jesus. I know and I feel Jesus. I know He died for me and everyone that believes,” she said. “It’s beyond words.”

Sarah Burbach, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in St. Charles, found a shady spot to sit with her four daughters, ages 10 to 2. Burbach was excited to participate in the procession to show her children how many other people love the Eucharist and to give public witness to their love, she said.

“The older I get, the more I realize so many people were rooted in faith at one time, right? Something happened in their life and turned them away from it,” she said. “If anything, I hope (this procession) is a reminder to people that you still belong here. We’re all sinners, we’ve all done things in the past, and you’re always still welcome here with us in our Church. I hope that’s a reminder for anyone who sees us. We’re here. And Jesus loves you.”

Burbach’s mother, Kathleen Adams, participated in the procession at Burbach’s invitation. She felt “overjoyed” as she walked with the hundreds of other believers, she said, “seeing how many other people love Jesus, not just you.”

“When I grew up, we didn’t evangelize very well, because we were private with our faith,” said Adams, who attends the Oratory of Sts. Gregory and Augustine. “And now we have to learn to evangelize, and I see this as part of the evangelization. We can’t be private about (our faith) anymore.”

After the Holy Hour at the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, the eucharistic procession continued down Fourth Street to First Capitol Avenue, passing by homes and businesses as participants made their way to St. Peter Church. A few people came out of their homes or stopped on the sidewalk to watch the procession.

This was the first time David Smith, who attends Incarnate Word in Chesterfield, had participated in a eucharistic procession of any kind.

“We’re here to witness to how important Jesus is in our lives. The procession is hot, it’s not the most convenient thing in the world to do,” he said. “But if the Eucharist matters, then it matters infinitely. So it’s so important just to even remind ourselves how central Jesus is to our faith and how important it is to make that time for Him.”

“It was really beautiful to see the wide range of ages. You could tell that this is a whole community coming together,” added Liz Buchholz, another Incarnate Word parishioner. “…We’re here because we love Jesus.”

A group of about 10 teens from St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville were among the many young people who participated in the procession. Alex Renteria, a rising high school junior, was one of four young men who carried the poles of the canopy that shaded the Blessed Sacrament.

“Going through it, you kind of struggle a bit to keep it still. And just going through that struggle was a great reminder of what our Lord and Savior went through, especially on His walk to the cross, processing with that,” he said.

The first day of events concluded at St. Peter with an evening of praise and worship and eucharistic adoration — once again, people overflowed from the pews into the aisles and the choir loft above. Bishop Mark S. Rivituso offered a short Scripture reading and reflection, noting that the pilgrimage had traveled the same streets where St. Rose Philippine Duchesne — known as the “woman who prayed always” — walked.

“Before the Blessed Sacrament, take the time there — it’s never wasted. It’s always fruitful,” Bishop Rivituso said. “And our eucharistic Lord blesses us and transforms us so we can indeed by those eucharistic witnesses in the world.”

Perpetual pilgrim Jack Krebs ended the evening by sharing some of his experiences alongside the seven other pilgrims on the St. Junipero Serra route. The pilgrims most recently were in the Diocese of Jefferson City, departing the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Starkenburg earlier that morning. As they’ve traveled across the country, they’ve experienced the Church alive in large cities, like crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and in towns of less than 100 people in rural Iowa.

The Eucharistic Revival is not just for people who don’t believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Krebs said. It’s also for all of us who fall into the “trap of routine,” attending Sunday Mass but not allowing the Eucharist to truly transform our lives.

“I want to challenge you to see the Eucharist in a new light tonight, during this week, during this time of revival as it continues into next year,” he said. “And just consider that the Revival is for each and every one of us, myself included…ask Jesus where He wants to draw you deeper, and give Him the space to draw you deeper.”

The pilgrims have spent the past several weeks walking with Jesus in near-daily eucharistic processions. Krebs encouraged anyone who hasn’t participated in one yet to join the pilgrims while they move through the Archdiocese of St. Louis on July 6 and 7.

“Jesus is walking once more through the streets of our cities and our towns. We are living the Gospel story right now,” he said. “We are part of the crowds that get talked about in the Gospel. We can really live that in a tangible way today.”