Bishop Announces Diocesan Eucharistic Revival and Expo'23
Dear Faithful of Eastern Washington,
“Our world is hurting. We all need healing, yet many of us are separated from the very source of our strength. Jesus Christ invites us to return to the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is a movement to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States by helping us renew our worship of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.” (Source: National Eucharistic Revival)
These words capture the hopes of the Catholic Church here in the United States. Last June, on the feast of Corpus Christi, every diocese in the United States introduced the initial phase of what is called the National Eucharistic Revival. Since then, I have been working closely with our Priests Council and Chancery staff members to lay out a general plan for what the Eucharistic Revival will look like in our diocese.
The National Eucharistic Revival lays out three main phases of revival: national, diocesan and parish.
On the national level, the 10th National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis on July 17-21, 2024. We have already reserved spaces for delegates from our diocese to attend the congress. Each pastor will receive a small number of tickets to assign to delegates from their parish(es). It will be vital for fellow parishioners to help support these delegates in attending the congress, especially as they return and assist their pastor in fostering deeper encounters with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist within their parish community.
Locally, I am pleased to announce that we will host our very own Eucharistic gathering later this year. Eucharistic Exposition 2023 or Expo '23 will be a single-day, afternoon event on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at The Podium sports complex on the north edge of Riverfront Park in Spokane.
As the event will be on a Sunday afternoon and the local parish is the primary experience of weekly Eucharistic Celebration for the faithful, I envision each parish will have a "pilgrims’ Mass." This will also provide an opportunity for as many parishioners as possible to pray together for the success of Expo '23, especially those unable to travel to Spokane later that afternoon.
The event will consist of three main parts: procession, adoration and celebration. We will host a Eucharistic procession from the doors of the Cathedral, through Riverfront Park and into The Podium facility. At the Podium, one of the national Eucharistic preachers and I will speak to the congregation, followed by a time of adoration and confessions. Afterward, we plan to have a meal together in the adjacent park space.
Finally, I encourage you to consider how the revival may overflow from these two events and into your families, friendships and communities. Please take a look at the website: www.eucharisticrevival.org/lead as there are plenty of resources and ideas on what revival could look like. More information will be available soon through diocesan communications and at www.expo23.org as a committee comprised of laity, religious, and clergy finalize details.
May Jesus Christ be with you in the Eucharist,
Most Reverend Thomas A. Daly
Catholic Bishop of Spokane, Washington
