Several hundred people assembled in complete silence around the picnic grove at St. James in Lititz on Monday evening was a curious sight to behold at the suburban Lancaster County parish.
But a closer look revealed the reason for their attentive focus – a Holy Hour of Adoration of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
For an extended period of time as the sun set in a hazy and humid sky August 5, only the buzz of crickets and the occasional hum of an airplane overhead broke the silence as teens and adults alike gathered around the pavilion. Many knelt in the grass and closed their eyes in prayer, while others sat on blankets or in lawn chairs with their eyes fixed on the Real Presence.
The outdoor event, “AMEN – Our Response to the National Eucharistic Revival,” was a joint effort of St. James Parish and the OneVoice regional youth ministry program in Lancaster. It was sparked by the excitement of the Revival and last month’s Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
“I wasn’t able to go to Indy and I know others who were interested but couldn’t make it either, so we hope this event is a way of bringing some of that energy and Revival here to our own community” said Kim Moore, director of OneVoice.
The keynote presenter underscored the same perspective.
“What happened in Indianapolis needs to take place everywhere throughout this nation,” said Ginny Dauses of 12 Noon Ministries, which offers dynamic retreats, missions and presentations to draw communities closer to Christ and the Church.
“We are now charged to go out and make sure there is not one person who doubts that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist,” said Dauses.
“Most of you who came here tonight probably know Jesus very well. But maybe there is one person who is slightly doubting tonight, who isn’t quite sure about the Eucharist. Maybe they’re questioning their faith, or God’s plan in their life. I’m talking to you tonight. And I’m hoping I can encourage the rest of you to go out and spread the Good News,” she said.
A Birthday Gift and a Relic of Carlo Acutis
The idea to put on the local event came when Moore was considering a birthday gift in memory of her late father.
“Every year on his birthday, I make a monetary donation in his name, and as I asked, ‘Ok dad, what would you like me to do this year?’ the idea for a Revival event here in Lancaster County popped into my head,” she said.
“Immediately, I thought to myself, ‘Would this even be possible?’ But then I decided to put the feelers out and see what could happen. If it was meant to be, then things would fall into place.”
Moore said the plans came together so quickly and smoothly she knew God’s hand was in it. Within six months, organizers had raised all the funds necessary for the event, which included Confessions, praise and worship by the Scally Brothers, Dauses’ presentation, and the highlight of a Eucharistic Procession and Holy Hour.
Sponsors and supporters included the Diocese of Harrisburg and Knights of Columbus councils from St. James, St. Catherine of Siena in Quarryville, St. Leo the Great in Rohrerstown, St. Peter’s in Elizabethtown, and Mary, Mother of the Church in Mount Joy.
As an added blessing, event organizers were also able to procure a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager, video gamer and computer programmer whose love for the Eucharist led him to create an online catalog of Eucharistic miracles throughout the world. He died of leukemia in 2006 and is set to become the Church’s first millennial saint.
The relic – strands of Blessed Carlo’s hair backdropped by a piece of his clothing – was available for veneration inside St. James Church for a portion of the evening, before being displayed at the pavilion for the outdoor part of the gathering.
Event organizers distributed prayer cards that were touched to the tomb of Blessed Carlo in Assisi, Italy, thus rendering them as third-class relics for attendees to take home and pray for his intercession. Pope Francis and a group of cardinals approved his canonization during a meeting earlier this summer; according to Vatican News, he will likely be proclaimed a saint in 2025.
The Revival event was a particular hit among young people, who made up nearly half the crowd. Among them were dozens of teens who are members of OneVoice Youth Ministry.
“We can really see how this event was meant to be, and that God’s hand was in it,” said Irma Do, Family Life Leader at St. James. “Today marks the first day of our Vacation Bible School, and its theme is ‘Eucharistic Revival: Come to the Table.’ The Revival event connects so perfectly. It was beautiful to see it all come together, and see the enthusiasm for it, especially among the youth.”
Going Forth from Indy
For St. James parishioners Tim and Kelly Lawrence, the event was the culmination of a summer of Eucharistic revival. The couple joined in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage when it journeyed through Adams and York counties in early June, participated in the Diocesan Mass on the steps of the state Capitol a few days later, and attended the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last month.
“It’s been an incredible summer to be with so many fellow Catholics walking and journeying in the faith,” Kelly said. “Being here tonight, this feels like a mini Congress taking place. People are gathering for praise and worship, Adoration, and to experience the power of Jesus in their lives.”
“The entire experience has inspired and motivated me to do more to bring the Good News to others,” said Kelly, an outreach and ministry support leader who is now planning to earn a master’s degree in pastoral theology.
“At the Congress, we were sent forth on mission to ignite everyone else in the faith, and we’re certainly doing that here tonight,” said Tim.
“Participating in all these events on the Eucharist that we did this summer, you get an incredible feeling of connection as Catholics – whether here in Lancaster County, or among thousands in Indianapolis,” he said. “It’s been so unifying.”
As the evening’s Eucharistic Procession made its way from the church to the pavilion for the Holy Hour, the congregation dropped to its knees, many people moved to tears.
Chris Wood, a youth minister and praise and worship musician, offered quiet music and song as Father Joshua Weaver, Diocesan Vocations Director, processed through the crowd with the Holy Eucharist in a monstrance.
“I hope that this event brings everyone closer to Christ, and also shows people what can happen when we cooperate between parishes and ministries. We can accomplish so much more when we come together for His Kingdom,” said Moore. “We hope that the people here tonight are inspired by the power of the Eucharist and drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus.”
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
