Hearts Rekindled
Looking back at the National Eucharistic Revival
The National Eucharistic Revival — a three-year grassroots movement to renew devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist — is set to conclude this June. Launched by the U.S. bishops on June 19, 2022, the feast of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), the revival will culminate on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 22, 2025. As it nears its end, Catholic San Francisco reflects on the many Eucharist-centered events that have taken place over the past three years.
Archdiocesan Year of the National Eucharistic Revival
The Archdiocese of San Francisco sponsored two Eucharistic preachers to speak at several parishes in Advent and Lent. Dominican Father Jonathan Kalisch spoke during the Advent preaching series and Father Victor Perez from the Archdiocese of Houston spoke during the Lenten preaching series.
The Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress was held June 10, 2023, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. More than 1,500 people participated in the bilingual event with keynote speakers retired Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain and Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, Wisconsin.
Parish Year of the National Eucharistic Revival
In the second year of the National Eucharistic Revival, parishes across the Archdiocese held Eucharist-centered events, focused on increasing knowledge and devotion to the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Dr. Scott French of Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer’s Magis Center also spoke to several parishes and schools on 21st-century Eucharistic miracles and the Shroud of Turin.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and National Eucharistic Congress
On May 19, 2024, Pentecost Sunday, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage launched from four corners of the United States — the St. Junípero Serra route from the West, the St. Juan Diego route from the South, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton route from the East and the Marian route from the North. The Western Serra route began in San Francisco with a Mass by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and a Eucharistic procession across the Golden Gate Bridge. The four routes converged at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, where more than 60,000 people participated in events and liturgies that fostered Eucharistic devotion.
The Year of Mission
The National Eucharistic Congress launched the Year of Mission, during which parishes formed Eucharistic missionaries and evangelists to support the work of the Church in fostering devotion to the Eucharist.
As part of the Year of Mission, Contemplative of St. Joseph Father Vito Perone hosted a Eucharistic Retreat at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church. Mike McDevitt, petitioner for the canonization cause for Servant of God Cora Evans, shared a reliquary with first-class relics of saints.
Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Corpus Christi close
On Sunday, May 18, another Eucharistic Pilgrimage launched from Indianapolis, bound for Los Angeles for the closing celebration of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival on the solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 19, 2025. The route is named after St. Katharine Drexel, an American heiress who gave away her wealth to form a religious community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, dedicated to serving the Indian American and African American populations.
This article ran in the June 2025 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
Photos: Jeffrey Bruno, Dennis Callahan, Colleen Hera, Casey Johnson, Francisco Valdez