The bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, is not very popular these days: abuse survivors and outraged bloggers blame him for covering up molestations in the Boston archdiocese; and parishioners in the town of Jaffrey are shocked to find that he had assigned them a new pastor who had been previously involved in sexual misconduct with a young man.
However, has your bishop done anything this good lately to teach the faithful about the Holy Eucharist? Bishop McCormack has announced a seven-week program of special Sunday Masses, school lessons, and devotional events to strengthen Catholics’ understanding of and appreciation for the Sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood.
To help all Catholics to understand and share the joy of the Eucharist, I am inviting all parishes and institutions of the Diocese to use a seven-week period during the fall of 2002 for prayerful reflection and celebration of the meaning of the Eucharist in our lives. The theme of the celebration is “Do This In Memory of Me – Christ, Our Bread of Life”.
Beginning the week of October 6, 2002 and concluding with the week of November 17, 2002, seven specific themes on the Eucharist will be celebrated successively in parish weekend liturgies, catechetical programs, parish and Catholic school educational programs, discussion groups and deanery-wide events. Simply stated, the goal of our effort is to foster among all Catholics a deeper appreciation and love of the Lord as we encounter Him personally in the Eucharist.
As I write this letter I realize how excited I am about this plan. We all firmly believe in the Eucharist, the Father’s precious gift of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit to us, His people gathered for worship. Yet, we also recognize the continuing need to foster a deeper and more loving appreciation of Christ’s personal presence among us, a wonderful presence that invites us always to give joyful thankful praise. During the fall of 2002, people will have an opportunity to focus their attention on the many different dimensions of the Eucharistic Mystery.
As we take time to deepen our faith in the Eucharist through prayer and reflection I am confident that God will grant us the awareness and grace to move effectively in our pastoral mission and efforts to bring the “good news” to our communities. It is for this reason that I ask you to join with me and the other members of the Church of New Hampshire in making “Do This In Memory of Me – Christ, Our Bread of Life” a priority in your personal life as well as in the life of your parish or institution during the fall of 2002.
With prayerful best wishes, I remain
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
+John McCormack
Bishop of Manchester