SW News: The National Eucharistic Revival of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB) invites parishes to restore understanding and devotion to the source of the Catholic faith with a new Leader’s Playbook for the Year of Parish Revival. As the National Eucharistic Revival prepares to enter into the Year of the Parish on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Leader’s Playbook is a guide offering concrete steps for parishes to bolster their Eucharistic culture and share the gift of the Eucharist with all Catholics especially those who have not fully encountered Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

The playbook is built around the four pillars that uphold the movement of the Revival–Reinvigorating Devotion, Personal Encounter, Robust Faith Formation, and Missionary Sending.  The playbook is meant to help answer the question, “What are we being asked to do to live out the Year of Parish Revival?”

“We must remember the power and responsibility of the local parish, especially in light of the jarring statistics about Eucharistic beliefs among Catholics. Seven in ten Catholics believe the Eucharist is merely a symbol, an encounter with an ‘it’ instead of a ‘who,’” asserted Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

“So many Catholics are missing the opportunity to know Jesus Christ. In this pivotal year of the Revival, the bishops of the United States are asking every parish to take one step further in their current efforts to revive parishioners in their love with Jesus in the Eucharist and to send them forth to share this love with others,” the bishop said.

The playbook highlights best practices to coincide with each of the four Revival pillars using the example of various dioceses across the country that have already put into place several impactful initiatives and events.

Some of the efforts include renewing the art of celebrating the Mass with workshops and refreshed guidelines, instituting monthly holy hour nights and healing Masses, dedicating a series of Sunday homilies to Eucharistic teaching with small group formation, and brainstorming creative ways to revive hospitality within a parish.