The US bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival continues this year with another pilgrimage, building on the momentum of the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. The initiative launched after a 2019 Pew poll found only 31% of Catholics affirm Church teaching on the Real Presence. Aleteia’s Philip Kosloski reflects on his own surprise at discovering this doctrine as a young adult convert, a story that points to something the Revival’s emphasis on catechesis alone might miss.
What happened
Kosloski writes about learning the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist after growing up Protestant. The doctrine struck him not as obvious from Scripture alone but as a profound claim requiring divine revelation. His account illustrates a pattern common in conversion stories: the Real Presence isn’t grasped primarily through argument but through encounter and trust in the Church’s witness.
The US bishops launched the three-year Eucharistic Revival in 2022 explicitly to address the Pew Research finding. The initiative includes catechetical resources, pilgrimages, and the 2024 Indianapolis Congress, which drew over 50,000 participants. This year’s pilgrimage extends that effort.
Why this matters
The 31% statistic has driven enormous institutional energy, but conversion stories like Kosloski’s suggest the crisis isn’t only ignorance. Many Catholics who answer survey questions incorrectly may not lack exposure to the teaching. They lack the lived experience of the liturgy as sacred encounter, the community practice that makes the doctrine credible, or formation in how to read Scripture through Tradition rather than as a standalone text.
The risk of a Revival focused heavily on restating doctrine is treating faith like information transfer. Kosloski’s surprise at the teaching points to something else: he believed it because he trusted the Church’s authority, cultivated through prayer and community, not because the argument alone was self-evident. Recovering Eucharistic faith likely requires restoring that trust and liturgical reverence alongside clear teaching.
For Catholic readers
If you struggle with Eucharistic belief or know someone who does, consider reading conversion accounts like Kosloski’s alongside the Catechism. Faith grows in relationship, not just study. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament this week, even briefly. Ask the Lord to deepen what you already profess with your lips.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original reflection
