Arkansas eucharistic revival begins June 18

Published: June 16, 2022

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” — John 6:51

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will begin the Diocese of Little Rock's observance of the National Eucharistic Revival by celebrating an opening Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, June 18, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Father John Connell, VG, will celebrate a second opening Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers at 5 p.m. on the same day to allow more people to participate from our statewide diocese.

For those unable to attend in person, the bishop will deliver a recorded video/audio homily at all weekend Masses across Arkansas June 18-19 in English and Spanish. He plans to release a series of videos celebrating the revival in the coming year.

The three-year revival was organized by the U.S. bishops to increase devotion to and belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. | Eucharistic Revival Resources

Bishop Taylor explained the need for the revival in a talk he gave in February. "One of the chief pastoral problems today is the fact that, according to the 2019 Pew Research Survey, only 31 percent of Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist." | Read His Talk

To address this problem, the U.S. bishops organized the revival, and published the document, "The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church," which summarizes the Church's teaching on the Eucharist and "is intended to be a point of departure to reignite catechesis and evangelization in anticipation of the eucharistic revival," said Bishop Taylor.

The revival begins with a diocesan phase followed by a parish phase, which flows into the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024, which will be the first of its kind in nearly 50 years. 

"This will be a time for the diocese to reflect on how faith formation regarding the Eucharist is going and what changes need to be made in order to enhance the eloquence of our proclamation, the beauty of our worship and the selflessness of our service so that these will truly be at the service of a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Lectures can be planned, outside speakers can be lined up and social media resources will be available," Bishop Taylor said of the diocesan phase. | Eucharist Resources

The diocesan phase will conclude with Masses in northwest and central Arkansas in June 2023. Details to come. For more information, read Arkansas Catholic.

"In 2023 we will have the parish phase that will seek to bring the fruit of the diocesan phase to bear on the way things are done in our parishes. Study groups would be appropriate and during this phase we will seek to foster eucharistic adoration in new places and reinforce it where it already exists," he added. "Then the whole process will culminate in a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024. ...

"During those five days they hope to form and send forth more than 80,000 eucharistic missionaries. Virtual participation over the Internet is a possibility for those who can’t make it, but while that’s better than nothing, it is just not quite the same as being there. So, I hope that large groups from Arkansas will participate in this eucharistic congress in person."

The revival ends on Pentecost Sunday in 2025, after a year of "going out on mission."

For more information about the eucharistic revival in Arkansas, email Father Juan Guido, diocesan director of divine worship, at jguido@ctkparishfs.com or call him at (479) 783-7745.