Renewing Our Eucharistic Spirituality
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
*Friday Evening: Renewing Eucharistic Spirituality, Father George Dunne SSS
*Saturday Morning: Saint Peter Julian Eymard and the Real Presence, Sister Catherine Marie Caron SSS
*Saturday Afternoon: Eucharist for Our Time, Father Norman B. Pelletier SSS .
*Sunday Morning: Eucharist Guiding us to Change, Father Darren Maslen SSS
WORKSHOPS
Workshop and Activity times are 11:15 am, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. Each participant will have the opportunity to attend three workshops or activities (any combination) if they choose.
WI – Workshop #1: The Eucharist as Paschal Mystery: making space and time for God to move into our lives, Father Bill Fickel SSS
W2 – Workshop #2: Writings of St. Peter Julian Eymard on the Real Presence, Brother Michael Perez SSS
W3 – Workshop #3: Reviewing “Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”: rituals for communal celebration with prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, Father John Thomas Lane SSS
W4 – Workshop #4: Engaging Youth in the Eucharist, Evamarie Mickol
W5 – Workshop #5: Ongoing Formation in Eucharistic Spirituality for Associates, Father John Keenan SSS
ACTIVITIES
A1 – Activity #1: Tour of the Gardens, Brother Gary LaVerdiere SSS
A2 – Activity #2: Tour of the Heritage Room, Father Norman Pelletier SSS
A3 – Activity #3: Prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the Church Chapel or Saint Ann Shrine
Download pdf Congress brochure with complete information on registering, daily schedule and Keynote, Workshop and Activity descriptions.
Online Registration open NOW!
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“Following in the footsteps of Father Eymard,
we invite all those whom the Spirit directs to the Eucharist,
both priests and lay people,
to become associated with our family and share in its mission.
We offer them our continuing support
so that they may find in the Eucharist
the inspiration for their whole life and commitments.”
Rule of Life, 43
Blessed Sacrament Associates are lay Catholic women and men―single and married―who share in the charism of Saint Peter Julian Eymard by centering their lives on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist as lived and modeled by the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Associates commit themselves to be disciples and apostles of the Eucharist, supporting each other through the sharing of prayer and faith in regular meetings. They participate fully in the liturgy of the Eucharist, in personal prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and engage in a variety of ministries, to manifest the fruit of worship and prayer.
Associates partner with the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in proclaiming the riches of God’s love in the Eucharist.
After a period of formation and discernment, they make a public covenant with a promise to place the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s self-giving in the Eucharist at the center of their life. To grow as covenanted people, the associates gather often to pray together, encourage one another, and grow in their understanding of the Eucharist and its demands.
In partnership with the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, associates form communities of friendship and faith whose center of life is the Eucharist celebrated, contemplated, and lived. This companionship with the congregation is expressed through active engagement in its mission of eucharistic evangelizing; through liturgical ministries and parish service, Communion ministry and visitation of the aged and the infirm, promotion of eucharistic adoration, Life in the Eucharist programs, parish missions, outreach to the poor, and other ministries.
Formation as an Associate of the Blessed Sacrament is ongoing, and designed to help the associate live and grow as a witness to the Eucharist.
“Members of the aggregation are aware
that their sharing in the charism
will be all the more fruitful and profound
insofar as they become imbued
with an authentic Christian spirit in accord with
the spirituality and the mission of the Congregation itself.
To foster this purpose, they take part
in the formation initiatives and gatherings
arranged for them at the local and congregational levels.
Members will attend to their personal formation
by study and reflection,
deepening their understanding of the Holy Scriptures,
the church’s teaching, and the spirituality of the founder.”
Rule of Life for Associates, 21
Historical Background
Saint Peter Julian Eymard believed that it was essential to share the eucharistic charism of the two religious congregations he founded with the laity. In order to achieve this, he formed the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, which was approved by Pope Pius IX in 1875.
The call to be an Associate of the Blessed Sacrament is a true vocation. Associates enter more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist and share its riches with others through a life of prayer and ministry. Number 2 of the Rule of Life for Associates states:
“Our ideal is to live the mystery of the Eucharist fully
and to make known its meaning
so that Christ’s reign may come
and the glory of God may be revealed to the world.
In response to our baptismal vocation,
we seek to witness to Christ’s presence
at the crossroads of society and, starting from the Eucharist,
we strive to influence our world in the light of this mystery,
source and summit of all evangelizing.”
If you are interested in learning more about becoming an Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, contact us at:
Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
5384 Wilson Mills Road
Cleveland, OH 44143
E-mail: cee@blessedsacrament.com