Photo by Christine Clements

“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” –St. Maximilian Kolbe 

The Catholic bishops of the United States have called for a three-year National Eucharistic Revival, which began on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi) this past June. Here in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, our 25th Eucharistic Congress launched us into the revival.  

Andy Lichtenwalner

The three years of the revival include a year of diocesan revival, a year of parish revival and a year of missionary sending. The purpose of the revival is to encourage grassroots efforts of renewed love and devotion to the holy Eucharist in order to form a new movement of eucharistic missionary disciples who evangelize and share Jesus with others. In other words, the revival is not meant to end in 2025 but to rekindle a fire in our hearts that grows and spreads. 

This first year of diocesan revival (2022-2023) is meant to be a time of building awareness and praying. An Archdiocesan Eucharistic Revival Task Force of pastors, other clergy and archdiocesan office staff has been meeting monthly to pray for the revival and plan next steps for the archdiocese. We have 120 Eucharistic Revival Missionaries nominated by their pastors to serve as prayer warriors and catalysts for their parishes (learn more in the next issue of The Georgia Bulletin).  

The archdiocese sponsored the virtual Eucharistic Revival Conference which launched in September and is available for free during the entire revival (learn more at archatl.com/revival). We are also preparing for an extraordinary event called Atlanta Rescue Live on Sept. 9, 2023, at Cobb Galleria Centre. This event will be an experience of the proclamation of the Gospel—the kerygma or fundamental message of the good news of Jesus Christ—led by well-known national speaker and preacher Father John Riccardo and his Acts XXIX team, helping inspire the parish year of revival. 

With this new column in The Georgia Bulletin and with updated resources and webpages coming in the new year (check archatl.com/revival), we want to spread the word about the revival throughout the archdiocese. In particular, we invite Catholic movements, organizations and apostolates to discern how the Lord is calling them to engage in the revival. Most especially, we invite you—our readers and your families and all Catholics in the archdiocese—to pray for the revival and for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

The primary and most important work of the revival is not our own. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. So, as much as we might have planned in the archdiocese for the revival, it is an empty shell without the fire of the Holy Spirit. With that in mind, please join us now (and every day) in praying for the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and guidance for the revival. What a great place to start. Thank you! 

A Prayer for Eucharistic Revival   

Come Holy Spirit! 

Open our hearts, minds, and every part of our lives to You. 

Inspire and transform us during this time of Eucharistic Revival. 

Help us encounter Jesus and adore His Real Presence in the Eucharist—         

Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. 

Enable us to see the Face of Christ in every face. 

Remind us that we are beloved sons and daughters of the Father. 

Through, with, and in Jesus, set our hearts on fire with the power of the Gospel. 

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving us life. 

In Jesus’ Name we pray, 

Amen.  

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. 

St. Pius X, pray for us. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us.