Providing an opportunity for his parishioners to experience the beauty of the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) was vitally important to Father Matthew Robben, pastor at Family of the Most Holy Eucharist on Cincinnati’s west side. Many members of his churches (St. Antoninus, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Martin of Tours) were unable to leave family or work to head to Indianapolis, so their pastor and his team brought the Eucharistic Congress to them.

Their Family of Parishes’ Eucharistic Revival Week paralleled NEC’s final days in Indianapolis, from July 17- 21, and offered five themed days with daily morning Mass, prayer, Benediction and programs for parishioners of all ages.

“Our Eucharistic Revival gave people the opportunity to be united … to the Congress participants and join in the excitement and joy that is Jesus in the Eucharist,” explained Caroline Seta, Director of Communications for the Family of Parishes. “It was important to us to have our family members feel like they were a part of something big as well, right here in Cincinnati.”

Two highlights were the Eucharistic Miracles of the World Display, curated by Blessed Carlo Acutis, and Perpetual Adoration in the St. Antoninus Chapel, said Father Robben. “There is a sense of peace knowing that someone is always praying before the Blessed Sacrament in your parish,” he said. “I am hopeful that in the near future we will be able to start a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year chapel on the west side of Cincinnati.”

Each day’s activities highlighted the Eucharist’s significance, as when the Sisters of the Children of Mary led 35 children through prayer, adoration and reflection. “It was beautiful to witness,” said Father Robben. “Several of the children mentioned that they had never met a sister or nun before and were mesmerized by the sisters’ holiness and love of Jesus as they led them in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.”

On day three, entitled “Into Gethsemane,” they focused on the 12 Stations of the Most Holy Eucharist, and for day four, “This is my Body,” the parishes hosted a married couples dinner and talk. The fifth and final day, “To the Ends of the Earth,” culminated with a Eucharistic Procession from St. Antonius to Our Lady of Lourdes.

This inaugural event on the last day drew more than 200 people, who traversed the one-and-a-half mile route— and it was more than Father Robben dreamed of. “We had young families with their children and the old alike. [They were] walking, singing and praying the rosary as we walked behind our Lord,” he said. “It was amazing to see families in homes come out and watch the procession. I prayed the Lord would touch their hearts and lead them closer to Him.”

The procession’s magnitude also impacted Seta. “I was in awe of a Eucharistic procession that had people coming out through their front doors and paying reverence to a God that they may not fully understand, but somehow understood His majesty.”

As the procession approached Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a large crowd awaited their arrival. Before completing Benediction, Father Robben led the Consecration to the Most Holy Eucharist prayer for those who had read 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory. “Tears literally came to my eyes as those who participated boldly and loudly consecrated their lives to the Eucharist,” Father Robben recalled.

Seta said the revival showed that people are hungry for a connection to a God we cannot see, but Who we know loves us. “Watching this whole experience has made me see and understand all the more how our world needs Jesus. And when He comes to us through the Eucharist, we are left with this joy that cannot be understood, but that we know is pure love.”

This love and excitement were visible to Father Robben, who shared that a young father approached him on the last day after Benediction and asked, “What’s next? We have to keep this Spirit moving!”

This article appeared in the September 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here