HUNTERSVILLE — Parishioners at St. Mark Church in Huntersville celebrated the feast of St. Lucy Dec. 13 with Mass, followed by a blessing and reverencing of a first-class relic of the saint.
The relic was on the altar beginning at 5 p.m. with the rosary prayed at 6 p.m. and Mass offered at 6:30 p.m.
In his homily, Father John Putnam, pastor, said, “We ask in a very special way for her intercession that she might help us to see eternal things. That she might help us to see with the light of Christ. That we look at this world and recognize that there are things far greater than any of the earthly offerings that we are surrounded with – knowing that in the end, we are not made for this life but the life to come.”
The Mass, procession, and reception was organized by the Knights of Columbus Ladies’ Auxiliary. The reception included a traditional dessert made from wheat (muffins) and chocolate milk. The young ladies in the procession were each dressed in the traditional white dress and red sash with a wreath upon their head. They processed with a candle and a bouquet of wheat.
— Amy G. Burger
CHARLOTTE — The theme for the 14th Eucharistic Congress of the Diocese of Charlotte has been announced by Bishop Peter Jugis: “I am the living bread,” are the words that will surround the familiar cross and Eucharist that have comprised the annual event’s logo since 2014.
The 2018 theme is taken from the Gospel book of John (6:51) and is a part of the discourse on the bread of life in which Christ repeatedly explains to His followers that they must eat His Body and drink His Blood if they want to have eternal life.
The verse is the third time in Scripture where Jesus explicitly describes Himself as the bread of life. In the George Haydock Catholic bible commentary, the importance of the statement is explained: “Now (He) no longer calls the belief in Him, or the preaching of the gospel, the bread that He will give them; but He declares that it is His own flesh, and that flesh which shall be given for the life of the world.”
The Eucharistic Congress will take place Sept. 7-8 at the Charlotte Convention Center, the weekend after Labor Day.
In addition to the unveiling of the theme, two short videos promoting the Eucharistic Congress are now available on the Eucharistic Congress website, www.goeucharist.com. This year, for the first time, a Spanish version of the video is available.
The website and the Eucharistic Congress Facebook page will be updated in the coming weeks and months as speakers for the event are confirmed.
Attendance at the Eucharistic Congress has grown every year since it was inaugurated in 2005. An official with the City of Charlotte estimated that the crowd size for the 2017 Eucharistic procession through the city streets was more than 20,000, making it the largest in the history of the annual event.
The Eucharistic Congress is funded in part by contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and donate online at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.
— David Hains, director of communication