Eucharist is focus of traveling exhibition, talks, adoration at parish

FLEMINGTON — In November 2021, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a document entitled “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.” The bishops intended for this document to help Catholics in the United States “to enter more deeply by faith and love into the Mystery of Mysteries, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.”
 

A Eucharistic Congress held at St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish on the last weekend in March supported that goal. The congress, sponsored by the parish’s Legion of Mary, featured “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibition.”

According to Father Kenneth D. Brighenti, pastor, St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish, another goal of the Congress was to prepare the parish for the Eucharistic Congress that is scheduled to be held in Chicago in 2024. Through this national Eucharistic Congress, the Church hierarchy hopes to stem the decline in Mass attendance and the belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. So, on March 26, St. Magdalen’s Eucharistic Congress included a presentation on the Eucharistic presence, as well as Eucharistic Adoration with a guided meditation.
 

The worldwide traveling Eucharistic exhibition details more than 100 miraculous occurrences related to the Eucharist that have been reported in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said these miracles “…can help a person discover the mystery, the beauty, and the riches of the Eucharist.”
 

The idea of creating the exposition and developing its initial version is credited to Blessed Carlo Acutis. Although he died in 1991 at the age of 15, he had developed a passion for the computer and its potential for evangelization. Many people who knew him and his talents considered him to be a genius with his technical knowledge and use of the Internet.
 

Very devout from an early age, Blessed Carlo used his skills to assemble a database of all known Eucharistic miracles around the world and planned to visit each site. However, he was diagnosed with leukemia and his health never permitted him to travel.
 

Blessed Carlo was also recognized for his daily devotion to the Eucharist and his willingness to reach out to family, friends and strangers in need. Shortly after his death, the cause for his beatification began.     
     

In 2020, after Pope Francis recognized a miracle that occurred in Brazil through the intercession of Carlo, he declared him blessed. Throughout the weekend of the Congress, a relic of Blessed Carlo was available for veneration in the Church.
 

Even though Blessed Carlo never had the opportunity to visit the locations of the miracles he catalogued, the exposition was developed in his memory. It has journeyed to numerous locations on five continents. The entire exhibit consists of 170 displays, in English and Spanish, containing descriptions of the miracles as well as details of the events and the individuals who experienced the occurrences. Attendees at St. Magdalen de Pazzi’s Eucharistic Congress were able to learn about 140 of the miracles displayed throughout the weekend in the parish center.
 

Deacon Anthony Cozzi, who exercises his ministry at St. Magdalen and is spiritual director of the parish’s Legion of Mary, said a few members of the Legion had seen the exhibition and suggested the parish should consider hosting it. With the support of Father Brighenti and the assistance of the local Curia of the Legion, the Congress and exhibit were scheduled.
 

On Saturday, besides the exhibition of the Eucharistic miracles, Eucharistic Adoration was available in the Church. The day also included a presentation by Father Brighenti and Father John Trigilio, the pastor’s friend and his co-host on EWTN’s “Web of Faith 2.0” show. The priests offered a lively presentation using Old and New Testament citations along with sacred art to demonstrate how belief in the physical presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist has been a central tenet of Catholicism.
 

“We gave a Biblical foundation of the Eucharist,” noted Father Brighenti. After their talk, the priests answered questions from the attendees.
 

A guided meditative Holy Hour was then held in the church led by Brother Samuel Maria that concluded with Benediction by Father Luke Mary Fletcher, members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.   
 

In the afternoon Dr. Hernando Patino, a candidate for the diaconate in the diocese who was scheduled to be ordained May 10 at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, presented a talk in Spanish entitled “What the Medical Evidence concludes about Eucharistic Miracles.” The talk addressed recent medical studies of two modern, well-documented Eucharistic miracles in the Americas.
 

The congress concluded with a Holy Hour in Spanish, stations of the cross and reflections on the real presence. These meditations “Viacrucis Eucaristico” (Eucharistic stations of the cross) were inspired by the works of St. Peter Julian Eymard, known as the apostle of the Eucharist.
 

Lorraine Bello, a parishioner at St. Magdalen, described the Eucharistic Congress as, “Fantastic.”
 

“I learned so much about the real Presence of the Eucharist from the presentation by Fathers Brighenti and Trigilio,” she said.
 

Deacon Cozzi said the Eucharist Congress was well attended and added, “I spoke to many parishioners from quite a number of different parishes in the diocese who told me they learned so much about Eucharistic Miracles and the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist as a result of the various talks and exhibits.
 

“It was wonderful to take part in the reverence of the Blessed Sacrament,” he stated.
 

Reflecting on the day, Father Brighenti said, “We want to start getting the people prepared for the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago and thought this would be a great way to do so.”
 

He noted the parish already has Forty Hours Devotions annually and offers Eucharistic Adoration from 9 to11 p.m. daily which is also helping to prepare them for the National Congress.” He added, “Our congress was a proper way of getting people ready to hopefully revive Eucharistic devotion and attendance at Holy Mass.”
 

Deacon Cline exercises his ministry at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater.
 

Joanne Ward contributed to this article.