By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
Eight young adult Catholics serving as perpetual pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles made a lasting impression during their journey through the Diocese of Davenport May 21-23. Their group, accompanied by two priests and a religious brother, gave witness to a love for Christ, manifested in adoration, liturgy, sacrament and service.
They touched the lives of hundreds of the faithful as well as curious passersby during a public display of the Blessed Sacrament, carried inside a gleaming gold monstrance, through the streets and open spaces of our rural diocese. They sacrificed personal comfort and routines to carry out Christ’s mission to reach out to others. Adults and children joined the pilgrims for one or more segments of the pilgrimage through the Davenport Diocese, some saying we should have more public events like this one in which to share our faith.
Organizers of our diocese’s stage of the pilgrimage spent an exhaustive amount of time preparing for and guiding the pilgrims through multiple events in Burlington, West Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Washington, Riverside, Iowa City and Davenport. The organizers need a well-deserved break. Kudos, especially, to Deacon Frank Agnoli, diocesan director of Liturgy, and Colleen Darland, diocesan Safe Environment and Logistics coordinator.
“What’s next?” That question appeared on the back cover of every worship aid provided to pilgrimage participants at each liturgy and prayer service in the Davenport Diocese, along with a QR code that participants can use to “keep the experience of this Pilgrimage alive!” Here’s the link (davenportdiocese.org/eucharistic-pilgrimage-2025).
The resources that our diocese has provided for the “what’s next” steps are terrific. First, they remind us that the Eucharist is a mystery to be believed, to be celebrated, and to be lived. Reflection questions and action steps accompany each of these aspects of Eucharist.
Some examples:
- Eucharist is a mystery to be believed — How can I better recognize that Communion is just that, communal, and that we, as the assembly, receive the Eucharist together, not as isolated individuals? Among the suggested actions: Choose from a variety of books to read, such as “The Real Presence of Christ in the Liturgy and in the World,” by Anne Koester. Listen to the podcast series “The History of the Catholic Church.” Read Church documents, such as “Sacrosanctum Concilium” (“Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy”).
- Eucharist is a mystery to be celebrated — How have you experienced God’s love in everyday life? How is this connected to your experience of the Eucharist? Among the suggested actions: During the consecration of the Eucharist at Mass, take a moment to look around and acknowledge the presence of Christ in the priest, the assembly, and the body and blood of Christ.
- Eucharist is a mystery to be lived — Having been changed by meeting Christ at the Eucharist, how am I being called to live differently? Among the suggested actions: Address the problem of hunger and malnutrition in your local community. Write to your local politicians to keep food aid flowing. Serve at a local soup kitchen or meal site. Donate to a local food bank.
“Jesus can’t get everywhere,” but “when I look out (at you) I see a couple of hundred tabernacles,” Father Michael Herlihey, OFM, Cap., told the gathering at Mass May 23 in St. Anthony Catholic Church in Davenport, the last event of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in our diocese. “You’re the means of transportation now for the Lord. Two minutes ago, you just received Jesus and you’re now a tabernacle.” We carry the Lord to our homes, our workplaces, our schools, wherever we encounter other people. We do so through our actions and interactions, which may require courage and humility.
The “suffering, death and crucifixion of the Lord makes no sense, but placed in the context of love, it changes everything,” Bishop Dennis Walsh said during the pilgrimage’s celebration of Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. The Eucharist is the “ultimate communion of love where it fulfills Christ’s desire to dwell within us, to make us one with him… May it always empower us to live lives worthy of his immense sacrifice and love.”
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
