July 9 diocesan Eucharistic Rally and Mass will be event to unite Utah's Catholic Church
SALT LAKE CITY — After more than a year of planning, the diocesan Eucharistic Rally is set. The event, scheduled for July 9 at the Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy, “has already begun to capture the hearts and minds of many people,” said Father Christopher Gray at a May 22 gathering of those involved in the planning process.
Fr. Gray, the diocesan point person for the Eucharistic Revival, expects about 10,000 Catholics from throughout Utah to attend the rally, which will include morning events for children and keynote talks, culminating in Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis will preside.
“July 9 is coming, and it is going to be the most fantastic day that we can think of as a group together. This is going to be the most Catholic thing that happens,” Fr. Gray said.
At the May 22 gathering in St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s Holy Family Hall, Bishop Oscar A. Solis said that the Eucharistic Rally will be a “beautiful way to … practice what it means to be a Eucharistic community, not only to be blessed but broken, but most of all shared.”
Being a Eucharistic community and followers of Christ, means sharing of ourselves, the bishop said, noting that the most important teaching of the faith is the Eucharist.
One of the ways that the diocese has been teaching about the Eucharist, in preparation for the Eucharistic Rally, has been a series of reflections about the Mass. These reflections have been read in local churches over the past year, published in this newspaper and posted on the diocesan website.
To continue this teaching, the Eucharistic Rally will feature keynote presentations by nationally known speakers. Bishop Daniel E. Flores, of Brownsville, Texas, will give keynote addresses in English and Spanish. In addition, Dr. Timothy O’Malley will be the featured speaker in English; Dr. José Antonio Medina will be the featured speaker in Spanish.
The rally also will have morning activities for children and youth. For information, visit https://www.dioslc.org/eucharistic-revival.
The highlight of the rally will be the Mass, which will begin at 2 p.m. Doors will open at 1:15 p.m. so that people will be able to be seated in time for the procession.
“For us, it is so important that this be a moment to unite this Catholic Church in Utah,” Fr. Gray said. “All of this really matters because ultimately the Blessed Sacrament really matters. The Eucharist is who we are; it is our identity as a Catholic Church, and it is tremendously important to remember that not all Catholics believe that the Eucharist is actually the body and blood of Christ.”
Volunteers and financial support are still needed to make the rally a success, Fr. Gray said. “Please allow us to be good stewards of your money by bringing the whole Catholic Church in Utah together. This is an extraordinary event. … July 9 is going to be quite a day.”
For information about volunteering, visit www.dioslc.org and click the link, or contact the rally hospitality team at erallyslc@gmail.com or 801-989-2257.
The diocesan event is part of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival called for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The national initiative, begun in 2022, is intended “to inspire and prepare the People of God to be formed, healed, converted, united, and sent out to a hurting and hungry world through a renewed encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist – the source and summit of our Catholic faith,” according to https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/.
The diocesan stage of the national revival ends this summer. It will be followed by a year-long parish phase. The national stage will culminate in a National Eucharistic Congress scheduled for July 17-21, 2024 in Indianapolis, Ind.
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