By Elizabeth Landry
Staff writer
As we journey together through Lent, the Diocese of Syracuse invites you to a special three-night Lenten Mission focused on deepening our Eucharistic faith. Join us for an inspiring series of evenings featuring keynote speaker John Beaulieu, witness talks and a powerful Holy Hour with Bishop Douglas J. Lucia presiding.
Lisa Hall, director of the Family/Respect Life office, said the idea for this year’s Lenten Mission was the brainchild of Bishop Lucia. He was inspired by his experience at the National Eucharistic Congress that took place last summer in Indianapolis.
“It really struck him how powerful it was to have a keynote speaker talking about how his life had been changed through encountering Jesus in the Eucharist, and then having witness talks from people about how the Eucharist affected their life and their daily living,” Hall explained.
Both last year’s National Eucharistic Congress and the upcoming Lenten Mission evenings are guided by the book, “For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission,” which was co-authored by Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Tim Glemkowski.
Bishop Lucia has organized Lenten missions every year for the diocese, but this year he wanted to go to the vicariates rather than hosting the events at the Cathedral, Bob Walters shared with the Sun. “He wanted to replicate his profound experience at the Eucharistic Revival in the diocese locally,” he added. Walters is the director of Adolescent Catechesis & Discipleship.
“It’s important that it begins with your relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,” Walters emphasized.
“That’s the whole reason for having Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament — to offer people that time for encounter with Christ. Out of that encounter with Christ leads to … Eucharistic identity, living out the Eucharistic life and then living out the Eucharistic mission,” added Hall.
Each evening will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will highlight a different theme related to Eucharistic faith. The keynote presentation will begin the evening, followed by witness talks given by local individuals from within each vicariate area. The evenings will wrap up with an hour of Eucharistic Adoration with Bishop Lucia presiding and accompanied by live music.
For those unable to attend in person, each evening will be live-streamed.
For more information, visit syracusediocese.org/lenten-mission.
Schedule & Locations:
Monday, March 31
Location:
Mary, Mother of our Savior, Utica
Topic: Eucharistic Identity
Witness Talks:
Tim and Sarah Fitzgerald
Tuesday, April 1
Location: Holy Cross, DeWitt
Topic: Eucharistic Life
Witness Talks:
Sr. Katie Eiffe, CSJ and Jacob Cottet
Wednesday, April 2
Location:
St. Thomas Aquinas, Binghamton
Topic:
Eucharistic Mission & Masking His Mission Our Own
Witness Talks:
Nick Mion and Maria Klawiter
