Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Year of Parish Revival begins June 11
Published: June 7, 2023
"What will convert America and save the world? My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer." — St. Teresa of Calcutta
The Year of Parish Revival, the second phase of the National Eucharistic Revival, begins June 11 on the feast of Corpus Christi in parishes across the United States. The diocesan year (first phase) ends June 10 with the second of two Eucharistic Revival Days in Little Rock. The first was held in Springdale June 3.
The first year of revival allowed clergy and diocesan leaders to build the foundation for this movement to thrive at the parish level. "During the parish year, every Catholic in Arkansas will be invited to participate in local activities focused on bringing each person into a deeper encounter with Christ in the Eucharist that transforms life," explained Jeff Hines, diocesan faith formation director, in Arkansas Catholic.
Parish activities should focus on these four pillars (invitations) of eucharistic revival: (Learn more about each pillar in the videos at the end of this article.)
- Reinvigorated Worship — Parishes renew emphasis on the beauty of the liturgy.
- Personal Encounter — Parishes host monthly "Encounter Nights" featuring eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation.
- Robust Formation — Parishes host “Jesus and the Eucharist” study groups and incorporate kerygmatic and eucharistic homily series.
- Sending Missionaries — Parishes implement "Invite One Back" campaign to bring lapsed brothers and sisters home and recommit to serving the poor in their communities.
To do this, each parish is asked to select a "Parish Point Person" and implement the "Leaders' Playbook: Year of Parish Revival." Parish point persons are volunteers who have an essential role in connecting people in the pews with the national revival. They work with their pastors to discern how their parishes can implement the four pillars as suggested through the parish playbook. Then, they will work with other parish volunteers to lead activities and initiatives that fulfill the four pillars.
Training for parish point persons is available through the parish point person portal. This training includes webinars about the playbook, videos, small group development and leadership, virtual Q&A sessions, recruitment of volunteers and more. Sign up as parish point person or download the parish promo kit. For more information about these resources or how to access them, contact Jeff Hines at (501) 664-0340, ext. 388.
Key to the third pillar of revival, robust formation, is the "Jesus and the Eucharist" study, which is being created specifically for the parish revival year to help Catholics learn about and take in the miracle of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor explained the need for the eucharistic revival in a talk he gave in February 2022. "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."
The new parish study will include seven, two-hour sessions to be done in small groups. It will be available Sept. 14 and is being provided free of charge and offers required training for table leaders. It will be organized by pastors and parish leaders on the parish level. Dates and times will vary from parish to parish. Contact your parish for more information. Parish leaders looking for additional eucharistic study options, see the FORMED eucharistic revival resources.
Everyone is invited to begin the parish year by celebrating the opening of the new Divine Mercy Shrine for the Diocese of Little Rock June 11. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will begin the special event with a bilingual Mass at 12:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. Participants will then process one mile to St. Edward Church where the bishop will bless the new image of the Divine Mercy and lead the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
The shrine is connected to the revival because it will offer hours throughout the week dedicated to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in addition to Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation. Another option is to participate in a community Corpus Christi procession. To find out if a procession is planned in your area, contact a parish near you. To learn more about the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith, read the new special section from Arkansas Catholic.
