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By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald
When Archbishop Gregory Aymond declared a special Year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph for 2021 in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he hoped to use every tool at his disposal to attract Catholics of all ages to dig more deeply into their faith and the eucharistic mystery.
The latest salvo of the yearlong campaign is a sleek, new website – nolacatholic.org/eucharist – which offers numerous resources for Catholics to learn more about the Eucharist through video, songs and art.
And, as a bonus, says Deacon Michael Whitehouse, chair of the planning committee, it is filled with beautiful images that are designed to speak to the heart.
“The beauty of the website is that it’s engaging and it hits people in their everyday lives,” Deacon Whitehouse said. “It reflects the fact that when we celebrate the Eucharist, we bring all of who we are in our worship of God, and then we bring how we encounter the Lord out into the world.
“The website is being set up in such a way that it will be attracting people to come back over and over again because new things will be added.”
Special collaboration
The website is a collaboration with The Vigil Project, which creates music for Catholics to aid their prayer lives, brings live events to parishes across the U.S. and hosts formation retreats for Catholic musicians.
The Vigil Project was launched in 2016 by Greg Boudreaux and his wife Lizzie and Andrea Thomas out of “a desire to make excellent music for the church,” Greg Boudreaux said.
Since its start, The Vigil Project has published seven albums and is now working on its eighth – “True Presence” – which will play a major role in the Year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph.
When the group met with Archbishop Aymond last August to discuss its possible involvement in the Year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph, Boudreaux mentioned the artists were working on the Eucharist-centered song.
“The archbishop lit up and told us about the Year of the Eucharist, and he said, ‘I want that!’” Boudreaux said. “It has grown from there into a way for us to really serve our home diocese in offering content, not just music, but content that hopefully enriches everyone in the archdiocese in their prayer.”
Sarah McDonald, director of communications for the archdiocese, said the planners were aiming “to make a strong impact with the faithful and also do something a little bit different, particularly in light of the ongoing restrictions with COVID and the idea that a big part of the Year of the Eucharist is to invite people back to Mass, but, more importantly, into a deeper relationship with Christ.”
The website has three major components: visitors can listen to Catholic music, most of it original songs written by The Vigil Project members; they can watch videos of local Catholics explaining what their faith means to them; and they can find other resources for events connected to the year, such as the Eucharist Lecture Series at Notre Dame Seminary.
“These are quality videos and content that we’re developing together so that it has broad appeal across generations, as well as helps to meet people where they are in their faith life,” McDonald said. “The ultimate goal continues to be re-engaging people in their church parishes so that they can grow in their relationship with Christ as more and more people return to Mass in person.”
Jesus is the pilot
One of the key strategies in designing the website, Deacon Whitehouse said, was not to put any single entity “out front except Jesus.”
“We all participate in unique ways in his ministry, and so The Vigil Project is coming to join the ministry of the archdiocese,” Deacon Whitehouse said.
People who visit the website may sign up to receive periodic emails that are designed to help them in their spiritual journey.
Also planned for later this year is a eucharistic art competition for children, teens and adults, and there is a link on the website to the contest guidelines.
McDonald said The Vigil Project is viewing its involvement in this larger project as something that might be replicated by other dioceses.
Archbishop Aymond has done an introductory video and plans to do other videos, including one on the Feast of Corpus Christi, throughout the year.
Several priests also will do catechetical videos, some on the sacraments and others on major Catholic feast days such as the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19.
Emails will aid prayer life
Those signing up to receive emails will get material “that is very focused on faith-sharing, prayer and testimonials,” McDonald said.
“It won’t be about news but about developing and growing in your faith,” McDonald said. “Each email will conclude with a ‘share’ button so that everyone who receives the email will have the opportunity to share what they’ve experienced on social media. We’re hoping to engage more digital disciples in our archdiocese.”
The Vigil Project also is planning to do a major live event later in the year, but those details will be forthcoming.
Boudreaux and his wife live in Covington, and they have performed at more than 200 events across the country in the last five years.
But only a handful of their performances have been in the archdiocese.
The Boudreauxs subscribe to the philosophy embraced by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron that beauty in art and music is a way to attract people to the truth of the Catholic faith.
“I hope that people will find on the website an integrated platform where there is catechesis and a way to grow in knowledge – but there’s also a way to grow in beauty,” Boudreaux said.
The schedule of talks for the Eucharist Lecture Series is as follows:
► March 17: “The Eucharist in the Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch,” by Dr. Gregory Vall.
► April 21: “The Real Presence of the Eucharist,” by Dr. David Liberto.
► May 19: “Eucharistic Images and Art,” by professor Jordan Haddad.
► June 16: “The Eucharist and Human Suffering,” by Father Michael Champagne, CJC.
► July 21: “The Eucharist and Poetry,” by Dominican Father Philip Neri Powell.
► Aug. 18: “The Eucharist and the Moral Life,” by Father Bryce Sibley.
► Sept.15: “The Eucharist at the Center of Family Life,” by Dr. Tom and Patti Neal.
► Oct. 20: “Eucharistic Miracles and Saints,” by Father Jeffrey Montz.
► Nov. 17: “Eucharistic Devotions,” by Father Nile Gross.
► Dec. 15: “The Eucharist and the Future of the Church,” by Archbishop-Emeritus Alfred Hughes.
All talks begin at 6 p.m. at Schulte Auditorium at Notre Dame Seminary. Eucharistic adoration begins at 5:30 p.m.