Dear Friends in Christ,

From Encounter to Relationship: Embracing the Real Presence

I am so blessed to be part of a parish with parishioners who share their gifts and talents. Many of our staff members are parishioners, and we have so many volunteers in other areas of ministry.

One of those volunteers is Helena Signore, a long-time parishioner, lector, and retired Catholic School teacher. Helena taught 2nd grade at Holy Trinity for 22 years. She is a self-published author/illustrator of her children’s book, “I AM: The Mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist for Children.” Now in semi-retirement, she is the Spirituality Chair of the Grand Rapids Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and also shares the Good News of the Real Presence for adults and children as a speaker.

When Helena came to me and offered to give a talk on the Real Presence, I felt it would be an excellent idea for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on Sunday, June 2. The Solemnity of Corpus Christi has always been one where the Church tries to do something extra to honor our Lord, truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament.

This year we will meet in Danner Hall after the 10:30 Mass for continental style refreshments and Helena will share elements of her last two keynote presentations in a visual presentation. These will include information on eucharistic miracles, actions you can take to grow in your faith, and her personal insights and experiences. Helena will lead us from what it means to “encounter” Jesus in the eucharist to how much He longs to be in a deeper relationship with us and how we can embrace Him in that eucharistic relationship. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are all on a journey of recognizing Jesus in the eucharist and celebrating our joy as a community.

After her talk we will pray the Luminous Mysteries in church in front of the Blessed Sacrament, using special meditations to help us “see what is hidden” in the Mysteries as we adore our hidden Lord. This will be followed by a short quiet time of personal adoration and benediction, finishing up by 1:45 or 2:00. You may leave at any time during the event, but we hope you can stay for some part of the rosary and adoration. Jesus is longing to be with you.

In Christ’s love and Friendship,