HAMMOND – During a Holy Hour liturgy at St. Joseph church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Eucharistic Preacher Father Roger J. Landry provided dozens of faithful in attendance with the comforting words that “out of the depth of his love for us, Jesus is here with us.”
“We are the luckiest people alive,” added the Massachusetts-based priest, assuaging the crowd who assembled in the midst of a stormy night, when cell phone weather alerts punctuated the service. The March 31 gathering was one in a series of events that is part of the diocese’s participation in the U.S. Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Revival 2022-25.
Father Landry preached while the Blessed Sacrament was exposed in a monstrance displayed on the altar of the ornate circa 1912 church. The words, “God With Us” were displayed overhead on the apse along with symbols of the Holy Eucharist.
A priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Father Landry serves as Catholic Chaplain to Columbia University in New York City and to the Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life. Present at the Holy Hour, Bishop Robert J. McClory was a classmate of Father Landry when the then-seminarians studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
The visiting Eucharistic preacher spoke of his own personal conversion in 1988 to a deeper faith when he asked himself, “What is really important?” and followed his priestly calling. He then pivoted to sharing stories of contemporary saints’ devotions and of historical Eucharistic miracles.
Father Landry acknowledged the world’s difficulty with some Church teachings, emphatically stating, “What is too good to be true, is true.” That truth, however, is not readily accepted, he said, even by people who identify as Catholic.
In 2022, Catholic News Agency shared a RealClear Opinion Research poll of likely Catholic voters showing that 50% “believe in the real presence of the Eucharist.” Thirty-eight percent indicated they do not believe this, rather that “the bread and wine are (only) symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ.”
Father Landry told the story of a Catholic author’s account of a Muslim friend who, after observing the casual demeanor of many Catholics at a Mass, asked, “You really believe that little white thing is Jesus, and Jesus is God? If I thought that little white thing was Allah, I don’t think I could ever have gotten up off my knees.”
The Eucharistic preacher said many people have not been catechised to the extent that they realize who they are receiving. Others can be scandalized by public figures who identify as Catholic but oppose the key teachings of the Church yet present themselves for Holy Communion. He said the faithful should instead respectfully seek the Eucharist only when in the state of grace.
Father Landry offered Jesus’ direct testimony about his real and substantial presence, found in Biblical passages such as the Bread of Life Discourse in John chapter 6.
“If people were following us each day would they recognize that we think God is with us till the end of time? That God himself dwells in this beautiful church … will they see that reverence when we come up to receive Jesus?” Father Landry asked those gathered.
He then provided a glimpse into the lives of faithfully departed Catholic figures designated as co-patrons of the Eucharistic Revival, St. Manuel Gonzalez Garcia and Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Blessed Acutis, the London-born son of Italian parents who, as a religious young teen, was known as a “computer geek,” used his talents to create a database of known Eucharistic miracles.
“He had this ravenous hunger for Jesus, but most of his classmates were never (seen in church) on Sundays, and (Acutis) would ask them, ‘Where were you? I was looking for you yesterday. Didn’t you want to come and be with Jesus?’” Fr. Landry retold.
“I really think he’s going to be for the 21st century, what St. Therese of the Child Jesus was for the 20th century,” Father Landry said of Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006. “He’s already drawing many people back; his story is extraordinary.”
Pointing to the consecrated host enthroned in the monstrance, Father Landry concluded his remarks, saying, “Don’t labor for the food that perishes, but endures through eternal life.”
Michelle Golden, a life-long parishioner of St. Joseph, prepared her rain gear before heading out to the familiar environs of downtown Hammond.
“I think (Father Landry) is an astounding speaker,” Golden said. “He definitely gave me some insight into the Eucharist in ways I had not thought about. I was much more open to the message because this is my home.
Golden continued, “Listening to Father Landry tonight it’s helping me sort out the things that don’t belong in my life and people who don’t belong in my life. Because he specifically began to speak about people who come to church as routine, but they don’t recognize the gift. And that's very powerful.”
To bring back the message of a personal relationship with the Eucharistic Lord, Sam Carlson, a Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) campus missionary at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso attended the service at St. Joseph.
“What I was hoping for tonight was an encounter with the Lord in the Eucharist,” Carlson explained. “I wanted to receive words of truth; I feel I received that.”
Carslon, 24, perhaps related well to the Blessed Acutis, who, if he had lived, would be 31. “The biggest take away is to hear of his zeal to want to share the Eucharist – like telling people about Jesus in the Eucharist and inviting people into that.”
Madelyn and Steve Camacho spent the evening of their 32nd wedding anniversary at the Eucharistic Holy Hour. After the liturgy they gathered with some of the attendees for refreshments and sweets in the church basement.
The St. Bridget, Hobart, parishioners heard the thunder in the background as they waited in the church for the storm to pass. Madelyn Camacho said what she was really looking for was a “deepening of my faith. I am trying to listen to other takes on something. So, I came to see Father Landry.”
She said St. Joseph is a “very, very beautiful” church setting in which to witness the Holy Hour.
“Amazing,” added Steve Camacho, as the couple agreed that they would like to visit the church again for the celebration of Mass.