The Eucharist (lit. ’thanksgiving’), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord’s Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion, giving his disciples bread and wine. Passages in the New Testament state that he commanded them to “do this in memory of me” while referring to the bread as “my body” and the cup of wine as “the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many”. According to the synoptic Gospels, this was at a Passover meal.
The elements of the Eucharist, bread, either leavened or unleavened, and wine (non-alcoholic grape juice in some Protestant traditions, such as Methodism), are consecrated on an altar or a communion table and consumed thereafter. The consecrated elements are the end product of the Eucharistic Prayer. Christians generally recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present.
The Catholic Church states that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ under the species of bread and wine. It maintains that by the consecration, the substances of the bread and wine actually become the substances of the body and blood of Jesus Christ (transubstantiation) while the form and appearances of the bread and wine remain unaltered (e.g. colour, taste, feel, and smell).
Eucharistic discipline is the term applied to the regulations and practices associated with an individual preparing for the reception of the Eucharist. Different Christian traditions require varying degrees of preparation, which may include a period of fasting, prayer, repentance, and confession.
Eucharistic congress
The Eucharistic congress is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity to bear witness to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Catholic doctrine. Congresses bring together people from a wide area, and typically involve large open-air Masses, Eucharistic adoration (Blessed Sacrament), and other devotional ceremonies held over several days. Congresses may both refer to National and International Eucharistic Congresses. On 28 November 1897, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed Saint Paschal Baylón patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Associations
Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist
The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, sometimes shortened Real Presence, is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true, real and substantial way.
Eucharistic adoration is a devotional practice primarily in Western Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy, but also to a lesser extent in certain Lutheran and Anglican traditions, in which the Blessed Sacrament is adored by the faithful. This practice may occur either when the Eucharist is exposed, or when it is not publicly viewable because it is reserved in a place such as a tabernacle.
Adoration is a sign of devotion to and worship of Jesus Christ, who is, according to some Christian traditions, present in body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearance of the consecrated host, that is, sacramental bread. From a theological perspective, the adoration is a form of latria, based on the tenet of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
Christian meditation performed in the presence of the Eucharist outside Mass is called Eucharistic meditation. It has been practiced by saints such as Peter Julian Eymard, Jean Vianney and Thérèse of Lisieux. Authors such as Concepción Cabrera de Armida and Maria Candida of the Eucharist have produced writings recording their Eucharistic meditations.
When the exposition and adoration of the Eucharist is constant (twenty-four hours a day), it is called perpetual adoration. In a monastery or convent, it is done by resident monks or nuns and, in a parish, by volunteer parishioners since the 20th century. In a prayer opening the Perpetual Adoration chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope John Paul II prayed for similar ones in every parish in the world. Pope Benedict XVI instituted perpetual adoration for the laity in each of the five sectors of the Diocese of Rome.
The mission of the National Eucharistic Revival is to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. This revival movement is in answer to a call by the Holy Spirit, and all the fruits belong to him.
The revival is an unprecedented movement of Catholics across the United States—healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—sent out on mission “for the life of the world.”
The Eucharistic Revival is not a step-by-step plan or a series of meetings. Rather, the revival is a grassroots call and a challenge for every Catholic across the United States to rekindle the fire of love and devotion for the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Announces Route and Invites Participation from the Faithful
Denver, CO, February 18, 2025. Once again, Catholics from across the country are invited to partake in the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Today, pilgrimage organizers have released the full map of the St. Katharine Drexel Route. A team of eight Perpetual Pilgrims along with a few chaplains, recently selected to accompany our Eucharistic Lord on the Drexel Route, will travel the entire length of the journey. Last year’s National Eucharistic Pilgrimage comprised four routes and reached over 250,000 people.
The Drexel Route will begin with a Mass of Thanksgiving in Indianapolis on May 18, 2025. From there, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will continue for 36 days, traveling approximately 3,300 miles across the Midwest and Southwest regions of the United States. Twenty dioceses and four eparchies will host pilgrimage events on the way to the conclusion in Los Angeles on the feast of Corpus Christi (June 22, 2025).
The Drexel Route is planning to make many unique stops, including a visit to the Tomb of Archbishop Fulton Sheen in Peoria, IL, the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City, and missions in Southern California. A Eucharistic Procession beginning at the baseball field from the movie “Field of Dreams” will take place as part of the events in Iowa. This year’s pilgrimage will again focus on Eucharistic encounters with marginalized communities, bringing the Blessed Sacrament to assisted living facilities, food banks, a juvenile detention center, a hospital, and a federal prison along the route.
In honor of the Jubilee Year of Hope, there will be an additional focus on Eucharistic healing. Events are planned in Wichita to honor the victims of the plane crash and their families, at the border of Mexico with a special Benediction and prayers for all migrants and refugees, and in Los Angeles, where organizers hope to bring our Eucharistic Lord to the communities impacted by the wildfires.
Registration and a full listing of events in each participating diocese will be posted later this spring for anyone who wishes to travel with our Eucharistic Lord as a day pilgrim or celebrate our shared faith with the Perpetual Pilgrims at milestones along the route. “We are thrilled to be gearing up for the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. We trust that God has profound blessings and graces in store for us as we journey with Jesus through cities and towns nationwide again this summer,” said Jason Shanks, President of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc.
Media members are invited to attend a virtual press conference focusing solely on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage on Wednesday, Feb 26th at 1:00pm ET. You can register for the press conference by following this link. Further information for the Drexel Route can be found at www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org.
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