Do you believe in the Real Presence?

Every day, faithful Catholics around the world worship as priests invite the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine on the altar into the body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

And yet, only 31 percent of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist based on a 2019 study by Pew Research.

Following the publication of these disturbing findings, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) began discussing the need for a Eucharistic Revival. COVID’s onset in early 2020 accentuated a revival’s importance. The USCCB proclaimed a Eucharistic Revival in 2022 on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

PLACING OUR LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST

As a community of religious Brothers whose life and mission are fed by our complete surrender to the All-Sufficiency of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist is the primary source for our relationship with Him.

“The Eucharist is Jesus giving us life from the Father,” said Br. Joe Donovan. “This makes us who we are as a Church, and who we are as a Brotherhood. Everything in our life flows from our relationship with Jesus, including our ministries for college students and young adults.”

Through our outreaches on college campuses, we share our love for Jesus with students through Mass and adoration. We also reinforce Jesus’ primary role in all our lives during retreats as well as for those students living in men’s and women’s houses.

“The Brothers’ motto is, ‘God First God Alone,’” said Br. Joe. “Most of the Brothers have the opportunity to live this out in various ways but especially in a daily encounter with Jesus at Mass. For many Catholics it isn’t possible for them to attend daily Mass or adoration, so we look to provide these opportunities and much more to students so they’re able to develop a deeper, meaningful relationship with Jesus.”

We also provide similar opportunities and support to Catholic Center alumni through our work with young adult groups and our alumni retreats. With God’s grace, and the generous support and prayers of faithful friends like you, our ministries are changing young lives!

PUTTING OUT INTO THE DEEP

Bishop Andrew Cozzens from the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, a leader of the Eucharistic Revival, explains, “Our vision is a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and then sent out on mission for the life of the world.”

The Brothers got to know Bishop Cozzens when he was auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which includes our University of Minnesota campus ministry.

The culmination of the three-year Eucharistic Revival will be a National Eucharistic Congress, July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. As many as 10 Brothers are planning to attend the Congress.

“The Brothers are involved in the effort to help U.S. Catholics recover and revive the central truth of our faith found in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist,” said Br. Joe. “By attending the National Eucharistic Congress, we will bring back to our households, to our ministries, and to our students, alumni and partners the Good News that Jesus proclaims in Matthew 28:20, ‘I will be with you always even unto the end of the world.’”.