Letter from the Pastor
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September 24, 2023On June 19, 2022, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, the United States Bishops began a three-year focus on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist that is intended to be a National Eucharistic Revival!
There was a growing concern among the bishops because of a 2019 Pew Research Center study, which showed that 69 % of all U.S. Catholics said they believed the bread and wine used at Mass are not Jesus, but instead are “symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” The other 31 % said they believed in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist.
Though several Catholic scholars have criticized that study, it got the attention of the bishops. So the bishops instituted a three year program of revival to renew and rekindle our faith in the Eucharist.
This year, 2023 is devoted to parish-based revival of Eucharistic devotion. Our Parish has Eucharistic devotion every Monday evening at 7:00PM, and every First Friday from 7-9PM. We also will be teaching and emphasizing Eucharistic devotion for our children in PREP and our Catholic School. In the future I will be writing about the Mass, what we as Catholics believe about the Eucharist, and how Christ comes to us really and truly in Holy Communion, and our response to the Lord’s invitation, our attitude toward Communion, the way we act at Mass etc.
As part of the National Revival, the 14 parishes of Rockland County will gather next Saturday, September 30th at the Marian Shrine from
11:00AM-2:00PM.
We will come together for the 9:00AM Mass; after Mass, we will offer coffee, tea and continental breakfast in Toner Hall, then drive to the Marian Shrine. At the Shrine, we will have a Eucharistic Procession through the beautiful grounds of the Marian Shrine and we will have a time for private prayer in Adoration and Benediction. There will be a talk by Colin Nykaza, the Rosary and music to give praise to the Eucharistic King.
Colin Nykaza is a dynamic speaker; he is currently the Director of Young Adult Outreach for the Archdiocese of New York. Colin worked with Generation Life in Philadelphia as a Theology of the Body, Chastity, and Pro-Life speaker. Colin is on EWTN’s show Sunday Night Prime and The Eucharist. He is also a member of the USCCB National Advisory Team of Young Adult Ministry.
After the Procession and formal program, you and your friends or family can picnic on the grounds of the Shrine. Our School, PREP and all our parish organizations will be represented. I encourage all our parishioners to make every effort to attend, bring a lawn chair, bring a picnic lunch. Enjoy the day and pray for good weather!
Another opportunity for Young Adults is to attend the New York State Eucharistic Congress at the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY which will take place the entire weekend of Oct. 20-22nd. The eight Catholic dioceses of New York State are sponsoring the historic statewide Eucharistic Congress. A regional bus will be leaving from the Marian Shrine on Saturday at 6:45AM for Young Adults for Saturday only. If interested please call the Parish Center.Welcome to autumn, my favorite season of the year! The autumn equinox began yesterday, early Saturday morning 2:50 a.m. and will last until the winter solstice on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 10:27 a.m. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of autumn, like spring, it is a season of transition from the heat and fun of summer to the cold and beauty of winter. Each season of the year has its own beauty and uniqueness, and we in the Northeast get to enjoy them all. Wouldn’t it be boring to have San Diego weather all year!?
