Más detalles de lo que se vivirá este Julio, en el Congreso Nacional Eucarístico

Por Maria Wiering, OSV News

(OSV News) — Las decenas de miles de católicos que planean asistir al 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional de cinco días en Indianápolis en julio experimentarán liturgias a gran escala, oradores dinámicos y oportunidades para orar en silencio y compartir la fe, con seis diferentes “sesiones de impacto” adaptadas a sus diferentes grupos o a su camino de fe.

Este es un mapa actualizado que muestra las cuatro rutas de la Peregrinación Eucarística Nacional al Congreso Eucarístico Nacional 2024. Los peregrinos que viajen en “caravanas eucarísticas” en las cuatro rutas comenzarán sus viajes con las celebraciones del fin de semana de Pentecostés el 17 y 18 de mayo de 2024, saliendo el 19 de mayo. Todos se darán el encuentro en Indianápolis el 16 de julio de 2024, la víspera de la inauguración del Congreso, que durará cinco días. (Ilustración de OSV News illustration/cortesía de National Eucharistic Congress)

Los líderes esperan que los asistentes se conviertan en “una levadura para la Iglesia en los Estados Unidos como misioneros eucarísticos que regresan a sus parroquias, pero también en una especie de reunión de personas que están de pie en la brecha, o en representación, para toda la Iglesia a través de los Estados Unidos, invitando a ese nuevo Pentecostés, y ese nuevo envío (de) sanación y vida plena”, dijo Tim Glemkowski, CEO del Congreso Eucarístico Nacional Inc., en una reunión con los medios de comunicación en enero.

El evento es la cumbre del Avivamiento Eucarístico Nacional, una iniciativa de tres años de los obispos estadounidenses para inspirar un amor más profundo por Jesús en la Eucaristía que comenzó en 2022. El avivamiento se centró su primer año en las diócesis, el segundo y el actual en las parroquias, y el último año, que comenzará después del congreso, en “salir en misión”.

Los líderes católicos describen al Congreso Eucarístico Nacional como potencialmente transformador para la Iglesia católica en Estados Unidos.

“Creo que este evento y la Peregrinación Eucarística Nacional que lo precede tendrán un impacto generacional en nuestro país”, escribió el obispo Andrew H. Cozzens de Crookston, Minnesota, y presidente del consejo del Congreso Eucarístico Nacional, en un comentario publicado por OSV News en enero.

El congreso se celebrará en el Lucas Oil Stadium, sede de los Indianapolis Colts, y en el Indianapolis Convention Center. El congreso se distingue de otras conferencias católicas porque “invita a toda la Iglesia a venir a rezar juntos por el avivamiento”, dijo Joel Stepanek, vicepresidente de programación y administración del Congreso Eucarístico Nacional.

“Vamos a reunirnos con los ahí presentes para rezar para que el Espíritu Santo caiga sobre nosotros, para rezar por el avivamiento de la Iglesia en Estados Unidos, para rezar por la sanación de nuestras propias vidas para que podamos ser misioneros eucarísticos, y lo haremos a través de poderosas experiencias de oración y con el aliento de unos maravillosos oradores principales”, dijo Stepanek.

La inscripción está abierta para todo el evento y para pases de un solo día en eucharisticcongress.org/register.

El tema del congreso se centra en el pasaje de Lucas 24, que describe el encuentro de Jesús con dos discípulos en el camino de Emaús tras su muerte y resurrección. Los discípulos no le reconocieron al principio, pero le escucharon explicar las Escrituras, para darse cuenta más tarde de que su compañero era Jesús durante la cena “al partir el pan”. Regresaron corriendo a Jerusalén para contar a los demás lo que habían visto.

El primer día, el miércoles 17 de julio, tiene por tema “Desde las cuatro esquinas”. Está previsto que el congreso comience a las 7 p.m. con una ceremonia de apertura en el Lucas Oil Stadium. Entre los oradores de la tarde figuran el obispo Cozzens, el cardenal Christophe Pierre, nuncio apostólico en Estados Unidos, y la hermana Bethany Madonna, Hermana de la Vida, superiora local y coordinadora de misiones de la fundación de las religiosas en Phoenix.

La segunda jornada, el jueves 18 de julio, tiene por tema: “La mayor historia de amor”. El programa de la mañana comienza con la Misa de las 8:30 a.m., con opciones para participar en inglés o español, y una Misa adicional para jóvenes.

A la Misa le siguen las sesiones de impacto, en las que los asistentes pueden elegir entre seis opciones con “predicación dinámica y música adaptada a su estado de vida y misión”, según la página web del congreso. Tras el almuerzo hay sesiones de trabajo y “experiencias especiales” adaptadas a grupos o intereses específicos.

La velada incluye una “sesión de avivamiento” de tres horas con el padre Francis “padre Rocky” Hoffman, CEO y director ejecutivo de Relevant Radio, que dirigirá un Rosario Familiar por América en directo desde el Lucas Oil Stadium. También intervendrá el padre Michael Schmitz, presentador del popular podcast “The Bible in a Year” (“La Biblia en un año”).

El tercer día, el viernes 19 de julio, tiene por tema “En Getsemaní”. El programa del viernes es idéntico al del jueves, con Misa por la mañana y sesiones de impacto, sesiones de trabajo por la tarde y una sesión de avivamiento por la noche con la oradora principal del Rosario en Familia por América, la hermana Josephine Garrett, de las Hermanas de la Sagrada Familia de Nazaret.

El cuarto día, el sábado 20 de julio, tiene como tema “Este es mi cuerpo”. El programa del sábado por la mañana y a primera hora de la tarde sigue el orden de los días anteriores. A media tarde, los asistentes formarán una gran procesión eucarística en el centro de Indianápolis, que Stepanek describió como “una experiencia profundamente impactante”.

Los visitantes aparecen en una fotografía de archivo mirando “La Última Cena” de Leonardo da Vinci en la pared del refectorio de la iglesia de Santa Maria delle Grazie en Milán, Italia. (Foto de OSV News/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters)

“Mucha gente que estará un sábado por la tarde en el centro de Indianápolis se encontrará con el Señor y recibirá el testimonio que tenemos, como comunidad católica, de oración y alegría en esa ciudad”, dijo. “Es realmente una de las mayores piezas de aspecto externo del congreso”.

La velada incluye una sesión de avivamiento en la que participarán el Rosario en Familia por América y los oradores mons. Robert E. Barron, obispo de Winona-Rochester, Minnesota; la madre Adela Galindo, fundadora de la orden religiosa Siervas de los Corazones Traspasados de Jesús y María y Apóstoles laicos de los Corazones Traspasados; y Gloria Purvis, presentadora de “The Gloria Purvis Podcast”. El músico Matt Maher dirigirá los momentos de culto.

El quinto día, domingo 21 de julio, tiene por tema “Hasta los confines del mundo”. El programa de la mañana comienza con una sesión de avivamiento con el conferenciante y autor Chris Stefanick, fundador y presidente de Real Life Catholic, seguida de la liturgia de clausura del avivamiento celebrada por un delegado papal, con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Indianápolis.

“Este es nuestro gran encargo como comunidad católica, en el que seguiremos adelante y llevaremos lo que se nos ha confiado como parte de esta experiencia de vuelta a nuestros hogares, nuestras comunidades, nuestras escuelas, nuestras parroquias y nuestras familias para ser realmente esa sal y levadura en el mundo que está necesitado de la alegría que vamos a llevar”, dijo Stepanek.

Los actos principales del congreso serán presentados por Montse Alvarado, presidenta y directora de operaciones de EWTN News; la hermana Miriam James Heidland, de la Sociedad de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad; y el padre Josh Johnson, conferenciante, autor y sacerdote de la Diócesis de Baton Rouge, Luisiana. Dave Moore, cofundador de Catholic Music Initiative, pondrá música durante todo el congreso.

Las sesiones matinales de impacto previstas para los días 2 a 4 están organizadas en seis temas: Encounter, Encuentro, Empower, Renewal, Cultivate y Awaken. (Habrá sistemas de interpretación instantánea en varios idiomas, según los organizadores.)

“Encounter” es el conjunto de sesiones generales celebradas en el Lucas Oil Stadium. Con un enfoque en la profundización de la relación de una persona con Jesús en la Eucaristía, contará con oradores como Katie Prejean McGrady, la hermana Mary Grace Langrell, Mary Healy, Edward Sri y el Diácono Harold Burke-Sivers.

Las sesiones del Encuentro son en español, con ponentes como el obispo Daniel E. Flores de Brownsville, Texas; el arzobispo Gustavo García-Siller de San Antonio; Andrés Arango; Mabel Suárez; Kathia Arango; y Dora Tobar.

Las sesiones “Empower” están diseñadas para ser más pequeñas y “más íntimas”, con un enfoque en herramientas prácticas para convertirse en un “misionero eucarístico” en la propia comunidad. Entre los ponentes figuran el diácono Larry y Andi Oney, el padre John Burns, Chika Anyanwu, el obispo auxiliar de Nueva York Joseph A. Espaillat, Meg Hunter-Kilmer y Paul Albert.

Las sesiones de “Renewal” están dirigidas a personas que trabajan o son voluntarias en una parroquia, diócesis u otro ministerio “para explorar posibilidades nuevas y creativas de acompañamiento, evangelización y catequesis”, según la página web del congreso. Entre los ponentes figuran Damon Owens, Sarah Kaczmarek, Julianne Stanz y Curtis Martin.

Las sesiones “Cultivate” están pensadas para que las familias asistan juntas, con ponentes como el Padre Leo Patalinghug y Ennie y Cana Hickman. Las sesiones “Awaken” están pensadas para jóvenes de secundaria, con sesiones en gran grupo por las mañanas y sesiones más reducidas por las tardes. Entre los oradores figuran Oscar Rivera, Brian Greenfield y Jackie Francois Angel. Los adolescentes que asistan a las sesiones deben formar parte de un grupo de jóvenes o ir acompañados por uno de sus padres o un tutor.

El congreso también incluirá una sala de exposiciones y una muestra de una réplica de la Sábana Santa de Turín (el Santo Sudario), exposiciones de arte, oportunidades para la confesión y la adoración, y actuaciones musicales.

Se ve una vista detallada de la Sábana Santa de Turín en la Catedral de San Juan Bautista en Turín, Italia. En una conferencia de prensa celebrada el 8 de febrero de 2024 en la Exposición Nacional de la Sábana Santa de Turín en Washington, David Rolfe, un productor de documentales británico, anunció un premio de desafío de 1 millón de dólares para cualquiera que pueda recrear la Sábana Santa de Turín utilizando únicamente herramientas y técnicas. del siglo XIV. (Foto CNS/Paul Haring)

Antes de que la gente se de cita en este congreso, tendrá lugar la Peregrinación Eucarística Nacional, una peregrinación de dos meses que comenzará en cuatro puntos distintos de EE.UU. y en la que grupos de peregrinos se dirigirán principalmente a Indianápolis con la Eucaristía en una custodia. El acto de apertura del congreso incluirá a peregrinos de las cuatro rutas que convergerán en una procesión hasta el estadio.

Glemkowski dijo que el congreso comparte el objetivo del avivamiento: “la idea de que necesitamos un movimiento espiritual de Dios en nuestra Iglesia para llevar a cabo el avivamiento en este tiempo”.

“Los obispos han inaugurado proféticamente o invitado a la Iglesia a este tiempo de encuentro con Jesús, un encuentro profundizado con Jesús en la Eucaristía, que tiene todo que ver con la creencia y la relación y lo que … (San) John Henry Newman llamaría ‘asentimiento real’ — un don sacrificial de tu corazón a Jesús en la Eucaristía que da frutos para la vida del mundo”.

Los congresos eucarísticos a gran escala han formado parte del tejido de la devoción en la Iglesia Católica durante casi 150 años, y siguen convocándose regularmente por las diócesis de Estados Unidos y en otros países. El 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional es el primer congreso eucarístico que se celebra en Estados Unidos desde hace 83 años, ya que el congreso nacional más reciente tuvo lugar en St. Paul, Minnesota, en 1941.

El primer congreso eucarístico nacional de Estados Unidos se celebró en 1895 en Washington, y los siguientes congresos han tenido lugar en San Luis, Nueva York, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Omaha, Cleveland y Nueva Orleans.
Estados Unidos acogió también dos Congresos Eucarísticos Internacionales, en 1926 en Chicago y en 1976 en Filadelfia. El congreso de Filadelfia atrajo a 1,5 millones de personas, entre ellas figuras católicas fundamentales como Santa Teresa de Calcuta, Dorothy Day y un futuro Papa, San Juan Pablo II. Quito, Ecuador, acogerá en septiembre el 53º Congreso Eucarístico Internacional.

El entonces Papa Juan Pablo II firma su nueva encíclica, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia”, instando a los católicos a observar estrictamente la importancia tradicional del sacramento de la Eucaristía. El pontífice firmó la carta al comienzo del servicio vespertino del Jueves Santo en la Basílica de San Pedro el 17 de abril de 2003. (Foto de OSV News/Max Rossi, Reuters)

Maria Wiering es escritora sénior de OSV News.

Obispos: Los católicos deben tener libertad religiosa para ‘satisfacer las necesidades humanas básicas de los migrantes’

Por Kate Scanlon, OSV News

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — La capacidad de los grupos católicos y otros grupos religiosos para “satisfacer las necesidades humanas básicas de los migrantes” en la frontera entre EE.UU. y México es una cuestión de libertad religiosa y debe ser defendida, dijeron obispos de EE.UU. en declaraciones recientes.

En una declaración emitida el 26 de febrero en respuesta a una demanda presentada por el fiscal general de Texas, Ken Paxton, en un intento de cerrar Annunciation House (Casa Anunciación), una organización católica sin ánimo de lucro de El Paso que presta servicios a los inmigrantes, el obispo Kevin C. Rhoades de Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, presidente del Comité de Libertad Religiosa de la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de EE.UU., expresó su solidaridad con los ministerios religiosos que ayudan a los inmigrantes.

“Es difícil imaginar cómo sería nuestro país sin las buenas obras que las personas de fe llevan a cabo en la plaza pública”, dijo el obispo Rhoades. “Por ello, podemos dar las gracias a nuestra sólida tradición de libertad religiosa, que nos permite vivir nuestra fe en plenitud”.

La demanda de Paxton contra la Casa de la Anunciación de El Paso se produce cuando algunos republicanos se han vuelto cada vez más hostiles hacia las organizaciones no gubernamentales, en particular algunas organizaciones católicas, que proporcionan recursos como alimentos y refugio a los migrantes en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México.

Rubén García, director de la Casa de la Anunciación, asiste a una marcha para exigir el fin de la política de inmigración llamada “Título 42” y apoyar los derechos de los migrantes que llegan a la frontera en el centro de El Paso, Texas, el 7 de enero de 2023. (OSV Foto de noticias/Paul Ratje, Reuters)

El obispo Rhoades dijo que a medida que “la trágica situación a lo largo de nuestra frontera con México plantea cada vez más desafíos para las comunidades estadounidenses y las personas vulnerables por igual, debemos preservar especialmente la libertad de los católicos y otras personas de fe para ayudar a sus comunidades y satisfacer las necesidades humanas básicas de los migrantes”.

La oficina de Paxton alegó que los esfuerzos de Annunciation House equivalen a “facilitar la entrada ilegal en Estados Unidos” y al “contrabando de personas”.

“El caos en la frontera sur ha creado un entorno en el que las ONG, financiadas con dinero de los contribuyentes de la Administración Biden, facilitan horrores asombrosos, incluido el contrabando de personas”, dijo Paxton en un comunicado. “Mientras el Gobierno federal perpetúa la anarquía que destruye este país, mi oficina trabaja día tras día para responsabilizar a estas organizaciones del empeoramiento de la inmigración ilegal”.

Líderes católicos y locales de El Paso condenaron ese esfuerzo, incluido el obispo de la ciudad, el obispo Mark J. Seitz, quien prometió que su diócesis y la Iglesia en general “defenderán enérgicamente la libertad de las personas de fe y buena voluntad para poner en práctica convicciones religiosas profundamente arraigadas” y “no nos dejaremos intimidar en nuestra labor de servir a Jesucristo en nuestras hermanas y hermanos que huyen del peligro y buscan mantener unidas a sus familias”.

Una joven activista participa en una vigilia contra presuntos abusos cometidos por la Patrulla Fronteriza de EE. UU. afuera del refugio para migrantes Annunciation House en El Paso, Texas, el 22 de febrero de 2020. Sostiene un cartel en español que se traduce al inglés como “No somos una carga pública.” (Foto de OSV News/José Luis González, Reuters)

La Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Texas dijo en una declaración del 23 de febrero que los obispos del estado “se unen al obispo Mark Seitz de El Paso para expresar su solidaridad con los voluntarios del ministerio y las personas de fe que sólo buscan servir a los migrantes vulnerables mientras nuestra nación y nuestro estado continúan persiguiendo políticas migratorias y de seguridad fronteriza fallidas”.

“Nuestros ministerios fronterizos pretenden ser una presencia estabilizadora que proteja tanto a los ciudadanos como a los migrantes”, dice su declaración. “La Iglesia católica en Texas sigue comprometida a rezar y trabajar por una frontera segura, para proteger a los vulnerables y por soluciones migratorias justas que protejan toda vida humana”.

El pbispo Rhoades elogió a los obispos de Texas por “expresar solidaridad con aquellos que buscan simplemente cumplir con el llamado bíblico fundamental: cuanto hicisteis a unos de estos hermanos míos más pequeños, a mí me lo hicisteis'”.

Por su parte, la Dimensión Episcopal de la Pastoral de Movilidad Humana de Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano, expresó su solidaridad con Casa Anunciación, e invitó al fiscal a retirar la demanda y a comprometerse en “la defensa de los derechos de las personas migrantes que son víctimas de redes criminales que operan impunemente en el estado de Texas”.

“Criminalizar instituciones como la Casa Anunciación acusándola de tráfico de personas sienta precedentes lamentablemente peligrosos, para condenar las obras de caridad realizadas por cualquier persona u organización, impidiendo mediante argumentos judiciales a las personas poder obrar el bien”, dijo la comisión en su declaración, publicada en X.


Why the ‘Passion’? What’s Tenebrae? And why does Easter’s date change? A short Holy Week FAQ

By Lorene Hanley Duquin

(OSV News) — Sometimes the words we use in Holy Week and Easter feel so familiar we don’t consider their origins. Same for the date of Easter, which changes from year to year. The following is a quick FAQ guide to Catholics’ Holy Week vocabulary and key history.

Q. Why do we use the word “Passion” to describe the suffering of Jesus?

A. The word “Passion” comes from the Latin word for suffering. When referring to the events leading up to the death of Jesus, we often capitalize the word “Passion” to differentiate from the modern meaning of the word with its romantic overtones.

Q. Why do some parishes cover the cross and statues during Holy Week?

A. Before 1970 it was customary to cover crosses and statues during the last two weeks of Lent. After 1970, the practice was left up to the discretion of each diocese. In 1995, the U.S. bishops’ liturgy committee gave individual parishes permission to reinstate the practice on their own.

Q. What is Tenebrae?

Mary and St. John stand at the foot of cross in this depiction of Christ’s crucifixion at Holy Family Church in Ramallah, West Bank. (OSV News photo/Debbie Hill)

A. The word “tenebrae” comes from the Latin word meaning “shadows” or “darkness.” It was originally the name given to somber parts of the Liturgy of the Hours that are chanted in monasteries on the last three days of Holy Week. The tone of the prayers is filled with sorrow and desolation. At various points during a Tenebrae service, candles are extinguished and there is a cacophony of noise, which evokes feelings of betrayal, abandonment, pain, sadness, and darkness associated with the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Parishes sometimes offer Tenebrae services during Holy Week.

Q. Why do we call it “Good Friday”?

A. In the English language the term “Good Friday” probably evolved from “God’s Friday” in the same way that “goodbye” evolved from “God be with you.”

Q. Why do some parishes celebrate the Good Friday liturgy in the afternoon and others in the evening?

A. Ideally, the liturgy should take place at 3 p.m. However, in order to encourage more people to attend, the liturgy can take place later in the evening, but never after 9 p.m.

Q. What is Pascha?

A. The word “Pascha,” or “Pasch,” comes from the Greek word for the Passover. The early Christians used the word to describe the resurrection of Jesus as the Christian Passover. Today, we sometimes refer to the death and resurrection of Jesus as the Paschal Mystery, which is derived from the word Pasch. Orthodox Christians still use the word Pascha when referring to Easter.

Q. Who decides the date of Easter?

A. In 325, the Council of Nicaea decreed that Easter would be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. It can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.

(Lorene Hanley Duquin is a Catholic author and lecturer who has worked in parishes and on a diocesan level.)

The definitive guide to Holy Week

By Lorene Hanley Duquin

(OSV News) — What are you doing for Holy Week?

It’s OK if your Holy Week list includes coloring eggs, cleaning and baking for Easter, shopping for new outfits, traveling to a relative’s home or going on a spring vacation. There’s nothing wrong with secular Easter activities.

But it’s important to keep in mind that there is also a profound spiritual basis for the holiday celebration.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends at sundown on Easter Sunday.

Our remembrance of the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus makes Holy Week the most sacred time of the year for Catholics.

How will you balance the sacred part of Holy Week with all of the other things you will be doing? All of it is important in your life and in the lives of your family members. But keeping a balance between the spiritual and the secular will require a little planning on your part.

Start by making a list of everything that needs to be done during Holy Week. Then block out time in your busy calendar for attending Holy Week liturgies. Be sure to set aside specific times every day during the week for Lenten devotions, quiet prayer, Scripture reading and meditation.

Your greatest temptation will be scrimping on your spiritual needs because there is so much going on! If you let that happen, your Easter celebration may look perfect on the surface, but will feel spiritually unsatisfying.

— Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the Sixth Sunday of Lent, marks the beginning of Holy Week. The Mass on this day commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when people waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna.”

Before Mass begins, palms are blessed, and there is a procession that symbolizes the beginning of the spiritual journey into the Paschal Mystery that will unfold throughout Holy Week.

During the Mass, the full Gospel account of the passion and death of Jesus is read. The priest usually takes the lines attributed to Jesus. Several lectors take other parts. The people in the pews read the lines attributed to the crowd.

The Mass continues with the celebration of the Eucharist.

People are encouraged to take the blessed palm branches home where they can be fashioned into crosses or placed behind a crucifix.

The blessed palms that are left in the church are burned and used for ashes the following year on Ash Wednesday.

— Monday of Holy Week

The Gospel reading this day, John 12:1-11, recalls the woman who anointed Jesus with oil.

— Tuesday of Holy Week

Today’s Gospel — John 13:21-33, 36-38 — offers a hint of the events to come as Jesus predicts the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter.

— Wednesday of Holy Week

This day is traditionally referred to as “Spy Wednesday” because it recalls the decision of Judas to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

— The chrism Mass

During Holy Week, bishops bless sacred oils in the diocesan cathedral at a special liturgy known as the chrism Mass.

The oil of chrism is used during baptisms, confirmation, ordination and the consecration of altars. The oil of catechumens is used at the Easter Vigil. The oil of the sick is used to anoint people during the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

The oils are then distributed to the parishes for sacramental celebrations throughout the year.

As part of the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, the renewal of priestly promises was incorporated into the chrism Mass.

The chrism Mass is an ancient celebration that traditionally takes place on Holy Thursday morning. But in recent years, many dioceses celebrate the chrism Mass on an evening earlier in Holy Week so that more people can attend.

— Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper commemorates the Passover meal that Jesus shared in the Upper Room with the apostles on the night before he died. Before the meal, he washed their feet to impress upon them the call to serve others. The church recognizes the Last Supper as the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

During the meal, Jesus also instituted the Eucharist by transforming bread and wine into his own body and blood.

After the meal, Jesus went to Gethsemane where he suffered the agony in the garden, the betrayal of Judas and the brutality of being arrested.

The Mass of the Last Supper is a dramatic liturgy with the priest washing the feet of 12 parishioners.

After Communion, the altar and sanctuary are stripped and there is a procession with the Blessed Sacrament, which is taken to a separate altar of repose, usually located on a side altar or in a chapel. There is no dismissal or final blessing. It is the last time the Eucharist will be celebrated until the Easter Vigil.

People leave in silence, but continue to keep a vigil with Jesus in their hearts in anticipation of the events that will take place on the next day.

— Good Friday

The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday is a somber service that commemorates the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. Because it is considered a continuation from the night before, the liturgy begins in silence. The priest enters and lies prostrate at the foot of the altar.

The service begins with the Liturgy of the Word, which includes a reading about the suffering servant in Isaiah, a psalm, a reading from the book of Hebrews, and the account of the passion and death of Jesus from the Gospel of John. During this part of the liturgy there are special prayers for all the people in the world.

The second part of the liturgy is the veneration of the cross, an ancient practice that allows each person to touch or kiss the instrument of torture that leads to salvation.

The third part of the liturgy is a Communion service with hosts that were consecrated the night before. Afterward, the tabernacle is left empty and open. The lamp or candle usually situated next to the tabernacle, denoting the presence of Christ, is extinguished.

People leave the church in silence, but continue to keep a vigil with Jesus, who has entered the tomb and will rise on the third day.

— Good Friday fasting regulations

Only one full meal is permitted on Good Friday for Catholics between 18 and 59. Two smaller meals are allowed, but they should not equal a second full meal. Drinking coffee, tea and water between meals is allowed, but eating snacks between meals is not.

All Catholics who have reached the age of 14 must abstain from meat on Good Friday.

— Easter Vigil

In the first century, the early Christians celebrated every Sunday in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus. By the second century, they established a particular day for the celebration of the resurrection, which was connected to the Jewish Passover.

Their observance began at sundown on Saturday evening. They called it the Night of the Great Vigil, a time of remembrance and expectation that lasted throughout the night so they could sing “alleluia” at dawn on Easter morning. It was during the Night of the Great Vigil that new Christians were received into the church.

By the fourth century, it became customary for people to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate what was called the “Great Week,” which included Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. The diary of a woman named Egeria in 381 contains the first accounts of the special rites, prayers and devotions that took place in Jerusalem during the Great Week.

Over time, the practice of observing Holy Week spread throughout the Christian world, with prayers, historical re-enactments and special liturgies. During the Middle Ages, the celebration of the Easter Vigil gradually fell out of practice. The important days of the week were Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

In 1955, the Vatican reestablished the Easter Vigil as an important part of Holy Week observances.

During the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the bishops called for the restoration of the early Christian rituals for receiving new Christians into the church at the Easter Vigil. In 1988, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was issued.

Today, the Easter Vigil begins the Easter fire, the lighting of the paschal candle, the reading of salvation history, the celebration of the sacraments of initiation for catechumens and renewal of baptismal promises for the faithful is once again an integral part of Holy Week celebrations.

As with Good Friday, the celebration begins in silence with people waiting in darkness.

The first part of the Vigil is the Light Service, which begins outdoors with the Easter fire and the lighting of the paschal candle. The candle is carried into the dark church as a symbol of the Light of Christ, a powerful reminder that Jesus is light in the darkness.

The individual candles, held by people in the pews, are lit from the paschal candle. By the time the procession reaches the altar, the church is bathed in candlelight.

The Exultet, an ancient song of proclamation that gives thanks and praise to God, is sung.
During the Liturgy of the Word, Scripture readings and psalms help people reflect on all of the wonderful things God has done throughout salvation history.

Then the baptismal water is blessed, the candidates and catechumens receive the sacraments of initiation, and the congregation renews baptismal vows.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, people share in the body and blood of Christ.

The mystery and ritual of the Easter Vigil touch the deepest part of people’s souls with elements of darkness, light, silence, music, fire, water and oil, along with bread and wine that become the body and blood of the risen Lord. They are reminded that new life in Christ can never be overcome by darkness or death.

— Easter Sunday

For the early Christians, the celebration of Masses on Easter morning developed as a way to accommodate people who were unable to attend the Easter Vigil.

Today, Easter Sunday Masses are joy-filled celebrations of the risen Lord with the singing of the Gloria and alleluias, the renewal of baptismal vows, and a sprinkling with Easter water. After sharing in the Eucharist, people go forth strengthened in faith to serve the Lord and one another.

Easter Sunday marks the beginning of the Easter season, which will last the next 50 days and include the celebration of Jesus’ ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

(Lorene Hanley Duquin is a Catholic author and lecturer who has worked in parishes and on a diocesan level.)

Give alms and financially fast this Lent

By Phil Lenahan , OSV News

(OSV News) — In word and deed, Pope Francis continues to encourage Catholics to reach out to the poor and not succumb to a consumerist mentality where what we have is deemed more important than who we are. The season of Lent provides a special opportunity to take the Holy Father’s words to heart and live them out more fully.

Lent is a time to meditate more deeply on the life of Christ, especially on his passion and crucifixion. By better understanding and appreciating the love he has for us, the more able we are to respond to him with love.

U.S. dollars are seen in this illustration photo. (OSV News photo/Yuriko Nakao, Reuters)

The church provides traditional Lenten practices that help us focus on our relationship with Christ. “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the church’s penitential practice,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works)” (No. 1438).

While the primary emphasis of these practices are spiritual, you will be surprised at how much they enhance your ability to fulfill your daily responsibilities as well — not just during Lent but throughout the year. Since my focus is on personal finances, I’d like to discuss how two of these practices can assist you in becoming a better steward of providence.

The first is fasting. One of the most common difficulties Americans have with their finances is living beyond their means. This tendency is linked to our fallen nature. The catechism describes it this way: “Our thirst for another’s goods is immense, infinite, never quenched” (No. 2536).

The ramifications of our overspending are great and are apparent at the national, state, local and personal levels. Overspending leads to a failure to save, leaving future obligations unfunded. It also leads to unproductive debt, which creates major obstacles to having a successful financial future.

Fasting provides a discipline that helps us corral this tendency to overspend. It promotes temperance, which “is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable” (CCC, No. 1809).

While the church requires fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, many faithful practice it on a more regular basis. They recognize how it builds their character not only in the virtue of temperance, but in other virtues as well.

The second Lenten practice I want to touch on is almsgiving. Generosity is a key part of our Christian journey, having a direct impact on our relationship with God and neighbor. With American Catholics giving about 1% of their income to charity, it’s clear that our practice is to give from what’s left over rather than following the Scriptural principle of giving from our first fruits (Prv 3:9).

Renewing our commitment to almsgiving in a special way during Lent stretches our ability to love. Tobit 12:8-9 says, “It is better to give alms than to store up gold, for almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin.”

Just as fasting strengthens the virtue of temperance, almsgiving builds the virtue of charity. I encourage you to make both of these practices part of your Lenten plan in a meaningful way. Most importantly, they will lead to spiritual closeness with our Lord. Secondarily, they will help you become a more effective manager of your finances and a better steward of providence. Those are benefits worth pursuing throughout the year!

(Phil Lenahan is chief financial officer and treasurer of Catholic Answers.)

50 days of Easter spirit

By Lorene Hanley Duquin ,

(OSV News) — Most people don’t think in terms of Easter spirit. Yet the Easter season is a time that is filled with a spirit of joy and hope.

During the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, we proclaim and sing the word “alleluia,” which means “praise the Lord.” We are reminded that Jesus has overcome death. We are given the assurance that our lives have meaning and purpose. And we have the promise of eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

Christ’s entry into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion is depicted in a stained-glass window at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Centereach, N.Y. Palm Sunday, also known Passion Sunday, commemorates the event and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is observed March 24 in 2024. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Now that’s something to celebrate. But there’s even more!

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised his disciples they would never be alone, because he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them. Then he commissioned his followers to spread his message all over the world and make disciples of all people.

Ten days later, on Pentecost Sunday, the apostles heard a loud noise, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them in tongues of fire. When that happened, they received spiritual gifts that transformed their lives and gave them the power to touch the lives of others. They ran into the streets and began to tell people about Jesus. Each person in the crowd understood them in his or her own language. Thousands became believers that day.

So, Easter spirit is more than just experiencing joy and hope. It’s also a special call to share the Easter message with others.

Good news is contagious. Here are ways you can spread the good news this Easter season:

— Host a neighborhood gathering on Sunday afternoons. As the weather warms up, send the kids out to play and meet and greet the people who live next door. Ask everyone to bring a dish or beverage to share. What a great way to live out Jesus’ command to “love our neighbor.”

— Make Friday night movie night. Pick your favorite streaming service and watch a movie as a family every Friday night through the Easter season. Eat popcorn and movie snacks and talk about the takeaway lessons each person learned from the show.

— May Day basket. Put together a small basket or box of goodies and deliver it to neighbors, shut-ins, grandparents or a young couple with a new baby. Be sure to stay anonymous — leave the basket on the front steps, ring the doorbell and run. Kids can make homemade greeting cards or cookies, or pass on a gently used toy that they’ve outgrown. Pluck some flowers or herbs from your spring garden, add a prayer card and all of a sudden you can be spreading the good news of Easter joy.

(Lorene Hanley Duquin is a Catholic author and lecturer who has worked in parishes and on a diocesan level.)

Heading to the National Eucharistic Congress in July? Here’s what to expect

By Maria Wiering ,

(OSV News) — The tens of thousands of Catholics planning to attend the five-day 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July will experience large-scale liturgies, dynamic speakers, and opportunities for quiet prayer and faith-sharing, with six different “impact session” tracks tailored to their peer groups or faith journey.

Leaders hope attendees become “a leaven for the church in the United States as Eucharistic missionaries going back to their parishes, but also sort of a gathering of people who are standing in the breach, or in proxy, for the entire church across the United States, inviting that new Pentecost, and that new sending (of) healing and life to the full,” said Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., in a January meeting with media.

The event is the pinnacle of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative of the U.S. bishops to inspire a deeper love for Jesus in the Eucharist that began in 2022. The revival focused its first year on dioceses, the second and current year on parishes, and the final year, beginning after the congress, on “going out in mission.”

Catholic leaders have described the National Eucharistic Congress as potentially transformational for the Catholic Church in the U.S.

“I believe this event and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage leading up to it will have a generational impact on our country,” wrote Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, and chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., in a commentary published by OSV News in January.

The congress will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, and the adjacent Indianapolis Convention Center. The congress distinguishes itself from other Catholic conferences because it “invites the entire church to come to pray together for revival,” said Joel Stepanek, the National Eucharistic Congress’ vice president of programming and administration.

“We’re going to gather with those there to pray for the Holy Spirit to fall on us, to pray for revival in the church in the United States, to pray for healing in our own lives so we might be Eucharistic missionaries, and we’ll do that through powerful experiences of prayer and with the encouragement of a wonderful keynote speakers,” Stepanek said.

Registration is open for full-event and single-day passes at eucharisticcongress.org/register.

The congress’ theme is centered on Luke 24, which describes Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus following his death and resurrection. The disciples did not recognize him at first but listened to him explain Scripture, only to later realize their companion was Jesus during their evening meal “in the breaking of the bread.” They raced back to Jerusalem to tell others what they had seen.

Day one, Wednesday, July 17, is themed “From the Four Corners.” The congress is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. that day with an opening ceremony in Lucas Oil Stadium. The evening’s speakers include Bishop Cozzens; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S.; and Sister Bethany Madonna, a Sister of Life who is the local superior and mission coordinator of the sisters’ Phoenix foundation.

Day two, Thursday, July 18, is themed: “The Greatest Love Story.” The morning schedule begins with 8:30 a.m. Mass, with options to worship in English or Spanish, including an additional Mass for youth.

Mass is followed by impact sessions, where attendees can choose from six options with “dynamic preaching and music tailored to their state in life and mission,” according to the congress’ website. Following lunch are breakout sessions and “special experiences” tailored for specific groups or interests.

The evening includes a three-hour “revival session” with Father Francis “Father Rocky” Hoffman, Relevant Radio’s CEO and executive director, leading a Family Rosary Across America live from Lucas Oil Stadium. Father Michael Schmitz, host of the popular podcast “The Bible in a Year,” also will speak.

Day three, Friday, July 19, is themed “Into Gethsemane.” Friday’s schedule mirrors Thursday’s, with morning Mass and impact sessions, afternoon breakout sessions and an evening revival session with the Family Rosary Across America’s keynote speaker Sister Josephine Garrett of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Day four, Saturday, July 20, is themed “This is My Body.” Saturday’s morning and early afternoon schedule follows the order of the previous days. In the mid-afternoon, attendees will form a large Eucharistic procession in downtown Indianapolis, which Stepanek described as “a profoundly impactful experience.”

“A lot of folks who will be out on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Indianapolis will encounter the Lord and will receive the witness that we have, as a Catholic community, of prayer and joy in that city,” he said. “It’s really one of the biggest outward facing pieces of the congress itself.”

The evening includes a revival session featuring the Family Rosary Across America and speakers Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota; Mother Adela Galindo, founder of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary religious order and lay Apostles of the Pierced Hearts; and Gloria Purvis, host of “The Gloria Purvis Podcast.” Musician Matt Maher will lead worship.

Day five, Sunday, July 21, is themed “To the Ends of the Earth.” The morning schedule begins with a revival session with speaker and author Chris Stefanick, founder and president of Real Life Catholic, followed by the revival’s closing liturgy celebrated by a papal delegate, with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

“This is our big commissioning as a Catholic community, where we will go forward then and take what we have been entrusted with as being part of this experience back to our homes, our communities, our schools, our parishes and our families to really be that salt and leaven in the world that is in need of the joy that we’re going to bring,” Stepanek said.

The congress’ main events will be emceed by Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News; Sister Miriam James Heidland of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity; and Father Josh Johnson, a speaker, author and priest of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dave Moore, co-founder of Catholic Music Initiative, will provide music throughout the congress.

The morning impact sessions planned for days 2-4 are organized into six tracks: Encounter, Encuentro, Empower, Renewal, Cultivate and Awaken.

Encounter is the group of general sessions held in Lucas Oil Stadium. With a focus on deepening a person’s relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, it will feature speakers including Katie Prejean McGrady, Sister Mary Grace Langrell, Mary Healy, Edward Sri and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.

Encuentro sessions are in Spanish, with speakers including Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas; Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio; Andrés Arango; Mabel Suárez; Kathia Arango; and Dora Tobar.

Empower sessions are designed to be smaller and “more intimate,” with a focus on practical tools for becoming a “Eucharistic missionary” in one’s community. Speakers include Deacon Larry and Andi Oney, Father John Burns, Chika Anyanwu, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat of New York, Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Paul Albert.

Renewal sessions are for people who work or volunteer in a parish, diocesan or other ministry role “to explore new and creative possibilities of accompaniment, evangelization, and catechesis,” according to the congress’ website. Speakers include Damon Owens, Sarah Kaczmarek, Julianne Stanz and Curtis Martin.

Cultivate sessions are focused on families to attend together, with speakers including Father Leo Patalinghug and Ennie and Cana Hickman. Awaken sessions are designed for high school youth, with large-group sessions in the mornings and smaller breakout sessions in afternoons. Speakers include Oscar Rivera, Brian Greenfield and Jackie Francois Angel. Teenagers attending the sessions must be part of a youth group or accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The congress also will include an exhibit hall and a display of a replica of the Shroud of Turin, art exhibits, opportunities for confession and adoration, and music performances.

Leading up to the congress is the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a two-month pilgrimage beginning at four different points of the U.S. where groups of pilgrims will primarily walk to Indianapolis with the Eucharist in a monstrance. The congress’ opening event will include pilgrims from the four routes converging for a procession into the stadium.

Glemkowski said the congress shares the goal of the revival: “the idea that we need a spiritual movement of God in our church to bring about renewal in this time.”

“The bishops have prophetically inaugurated or invited the church to this time of encounter with Jesus, a deepened encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, which has everything to do with belief and relationship and what … (St.) John Henry Newman would call ‘real assent’ — a sacrificial gift of your heart to Jesus in the Eucharist which bears fruit for the life of the world.”

Large-scale Eucharistic congresses have been part of the fabric of devotion in the Catholic Church for nearly 150 years, and continue to be regularly convened by U.S. dioceses and in other countries. The 10th National Eucharistic Congress is the first Eucharistic congress in the U.S. 83 years, with the most recent national congress held in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1941.

The first U.S. national Eucharistic congress was held in 1895 in Washington, and subsequent congresses have been hosted by St. Louis, New York, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Omaha, Cleveland and New Orleans.

The U.S. also hosted two International Eucharistic Congresses in 1926 in Chicago and 1976 in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia congress drew 1.5 million people, including pivotal Catholic figures such as St. Teresa of Kolkata, Dorothy Day and a future pope, St. John Paul II. Quito, Ecuador, is hosting the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress in September.

(Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.)

Want to join the National Eucharistic Congress? Financial aid now available

By Gina Christian
(OSV News) – The organizers of the National Eucharistic Congress are making it easier for cash-strapped families to attend the July 17-21 gathering in Indianapolis.

The congress will cap the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year grassroots initiative launched in June 2022 and sponsored by the nation’s Catholic bishops to enkindle devotion to the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

The congress – to which young adult pilgrims will travel on foot along four cross-country routes – is expected to draw some 80,000 participants. The event is the first such national congress in the U.S. in 83 years, and in 48 years since the 1976 International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia.

Now, a new “Solidarity Fund” has been unveiled by the U.S. Catholic bishops to help those in need of financial assistance to cover the registration costs of the five-day congress.

“Led by our bishops, we have raised nearly one million dollars to give away so people from all over the country can join us in Indianapolis and return home filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to bring renewal to their families, churches and communities,” Kris Frank, vice president of growth and marketing for the National Eucharistic Congress, told OSV News.

Many events during the National Eucharistic Congress will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium from July 17-21 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Picture from BigStock)

Full event passes, which do not include transportation, housing or meals, cost $360 per individual, $299 per parent and $250 per teens ages 13-18. Children age 12 and under are free.

Group fees range from $299-$349 per person, while admission for priests, deacons, seminarians and religious has been set at $299.

Attendees traveling to the congress can hope for a dip in gas and diesel prices in 2024, but airfare projections for the coming year remain mixed, with some analysts predicting slight drops but others pointing to stabilized prices that will nonetheless remain on the higher side.

With group room blocks now sold out, lodging costs at surrounding hotels are anywhere between well over $100 to more than $600 per night during the congress.

“The Solidarity Fund allows us to take the financial burden off individuals and groups to ensure this moment is affordable and accessible to anyone who wishes to join us for this historic event,” Frank said.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate financial need and be prepared to secure their own lodging for the congress. Secondary criteria include coming from an underrepresented area or group, and seeking support to bring a larger group to the gathering.

Religious, seminarians and diocesan-organized groups in those dioceses supported by Catholic Extension will be directed to apply for funding through Catholic Extension.

The online application form for the Solidarity Fund can be accessed online at eucharisticcongress.org/solidarity-fund.

Congress organizers also are accepting donations to the fund.

“The aim of the National Eucharistic Congress has always been that our church would experience profound and personal revival,” Frank said, “so that we can be sent to share Christ’s love with a world that desperately needs it.”

NOTES: To apply to the National Eucharistic Congress Solidarity Fund, visit https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/solidarity-fund.

To donate to the Solidarity Fund, visit https://pushpay.com/g/necsolidarityfund

(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X at @GinaJesseReina.)

Catholic mother of 2 killed in Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade mass shooting

By Lauretta Brown
(OSV News) – Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a Catholic mother of two and beloved disc jockey for the KKFI radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, was killed Feb. 14 amid a mass shooting following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.

“It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez, host of Taste of Tejano lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs’ rally,” the radio station announced on Facebook that Wednesday evening. “This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community.”

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, second from right, stands with her family in a photo posted to her Facebook account Sept. 26, 2022. Lopez-Galvan, a parishioner of Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish in Kansas City, Mo., was killed Feb. 14, 2024, Ash Wednesday, during a mass shooting following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade. (OSV News screenshot/Facebook)

Lopez-Galvan was an active parishioner at Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, where she was fondly remembered by her fellow parishioners.

Ramona Arroyo, director of religious education at the parish, told OSV News that Lopez-Galvan’s whole family is “devoted to the church.” Her brother, Beto Lopez Jr., is the chief executive officer of Guadalupe Centers, one of the nation’s first social service agencies for the Latino community.

Arroyo said the loss was “devastating” to the community. “She was a beautiful person,” Arroyo said. She expressed her sympathy for Lopez-Galvan’s husband, Michael, saying, “It’s a horrible thing that happened to a good family.”

Monica Palacio, another parishioner who knew Lopez-Galvan, said the shooting was a “tragedy for our whole community because everybody knows the family” and they “grew up within blocks of each other.”
She also noted Lopez-Galvan’s role as host of Tejano Tuesdays at KKFI and as a well-known DJ presence at local weddings and quinceañeras.

“She was an amazing person,” Palacio said. “She was full of joy all the time, no matter where she was.” Palacio remembered Lopez-Galvan as the “life of the party” who “came with red lipstick and a big smile.”
The Kansas City Star reported that Lopez-Galvan, who was in her mid-40s with two adult children, died in the hospital during surgery after a gunshot wound to her abdomen.

Arroyo and Palacio said Lopez-Galvan, a known Chiefs fan, was at the parade with her family, including her son and nieces and nephews, and they had heard that other family members had been injured as well.
Father Luis Suárez, parochial administrator of Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish, remembered Lopez-Galvan in his homily at the Ash Wednesday evening Mass and encouraged the community to unite in prayer amid the tragedy.

Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News. Megan Marley, digital editor for OSV News, contributed to this report.

Catholic prayer app Hallow, He Gets Us campaign runs faith-focused Super Bowl commercials

By Maria Wiering
(OSV News) – Super Bowl LVIII watchers can saw at least three faith-based commercials during the televised Feb. 11 showdown in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Catholic prayer app Hallow plans to run a 30-second commercial featuring Catholic actors Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie. According to Hallow, the advertisement “will encourage fans to take time away from the spectacle of the big game and enjoy a moment of prayer on the Lord’s day.”

Wahlberg, who played prizefighter-turned-priest Father Stuart Long in the 2022 biopic “Father Stu,” is helping to lead Hallow’s annual #Pray40 Lent prayer challenge.

During Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers Feb. 11, 2024, the Hallow app plans to run a 30-second commercial featuring Catholic actors Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie. The app is centered on prayer and meditation. (OSV News photo/courtesy Hallow)

Pray40 also features Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the popular series “The Chosen.” Roumie voices other Hallow audio content, including the Divine Mercy Chaplet, scriptural rosary and daily Gospel readings.
“The goal at Hallow has always been to reach out to as many folks as possible, both those who take their faith seriously and especially those who might have fallen away, and invite them deeper into a relationship with God,” said Alex Jones, Hallow co-founder and CEO, in a statement announcing the commercial.

A teaser for the commercial posted on YouTube shows Wahlberg in a church dipping his hand in holy water and making the sign of the cross, and Roumie receiving ashes. Wahlberg says, “God, we take this moment,” as the screen reads, “For the first time ever, join over 100 million people in prayer during the Big Game. … Pray this Lent with Hallow.”

According to Hallow’s media statement, the commercial is expected to run “shortly before halftime.”
A recent survey by NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics found that a record 200.5 million U.S. adults plan to watch this year’s game. A 30-second Super Bowl commercial spot reportedly costs around $7 million.
Launched in December 2018, Hallow has more than 10,000 guided prayer sessions. It claims to be the No. 1 Catholic app in the world, with more than 10 million downloads across more than 150 countries.

After appearing at the Super Bowl for the first time last year, ads from the He Gets Us campaign also are expected to run during this year’s game. Backed by Hobby Lobby co-founder and Christian David Green, last year’s ads presented Jesus as relatable and compassionate, and encouraged people to love their enemies.

This year’s ads – a 60-second spot followed later by a 15-second spot – focused on loving one’s neighbor as Jesus did.

Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.