It is summertime in the city of Chicago. That is both good news and bad news. The good news is that because summers here are short, most Chicagoans make a point of enjoying the summer. The lake, the beaches, the parks, the outdoor dining spots become magnets this time of year. Right smack dab in the middle of this summer, though, someone special will be passing through Chicago—Jesus

Yes, that’s right, Jesus Christ will be passing through Chicago on his way to Indianapolis. Why Indianapolis? Well, there is going to be a National Eucharistic Congress happening at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from July 17-21, the first National Eucharistic Congress in our country in 83 years. There will be special Masses, processions, devotions, speakers, and discussions centered around Chrtist’s gift of himself in the Eucharist. Organizers are expecting 100,000 people to attend. As part of the build-up to the Congress, four pilgrimage groups have departed from four parts of the United States, carrying the Blessed Sacrament in procession. They are set to converge on Indianapolis on July 17. The Marian Pilgrimage Group, which left from northern Minnesota at the headwaters of the Mississippi on Pentecost will be in Chicago from Wednesday June 26 through Sunday June 30. The Archdiocese has a number of events planned for those four days, including a young adult gathering at St. Alphonsus Church on Friday evening June 28 and a Eucharistic procession led by Cardinal Cupich at Holy Name Cathedral  on Sunday afternoon June 30; but each parish has been asked to honor Christ’s  presence in the Eucharist in some special way during the four days that the Pilgrimage is passing through the Archdiocese. So, we will be having a Holy Hour on Saturday morning June 29, following the 7:30am Mass.

The Eucharistic Pilgrimage Groups and the Eucharistic Congress are part of the Catholic Bishops’ “Eucharistic Revival”—a three-year effort to restore understanding and devotion to the Eucharist. Surveys have shown that many Catholics do not understand or grasp that Christ is truly present at Mass under the appearance of bread and wine and that Christ remains present to us in the Eucharist reserved in the Tabernacle. Other surveys show that Catholics are primarily drawn to church for the three h’s (hospitality, hymns, and hospitality). The opportunity to receive Christ does not make the top three. So, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to remember what a treasure we possess and how easy it is to take it for granted. Why is the Congress being held in Indianapolis and not Chicago? Well, I am sure there are lots of logistical reasons for that. But remember that Chicago did host an International Eucharist Congress at Soldier Field in 1926, an event that attracted 400,000 people!

The down side of summer in Chicago is violence. With more people outside, there are typically more shootings. Cardinal Cupich has asked all of us to take an active part in helping keep our children safe this summer. Although our congregation is not composed of many “youth at risk,” we have all witnessed the effects of violence perpetrated by and toward young people in our neighborhoods. We can all become better informed about positive programs that keep young people safe and to pass the word along when we have the opportunity.

At Assumption we have a shrine to St. Peregrine, primarily known as “the cancer saint,” since he was miraculously healed of cancer after spending a night in prayer before an image of Christ crucified. This happened when Peregrine was about sixty years old. As a teenager, though, he was a member of what we would now call a street gang. He was one of the perpetrators of the violence that had infected Forli, Italy in the fourteenth century. Through an encounter with a Servite Friar, St. Philip Benizi, he experienced the power of forgiveness and eventually became a Servite Friar himself. About twenty-five years ago, several Servite Sisters and I composed a prayer service to St Peregrine, Patron Saint of Youth at Risk. At our weekly prayer service to St. Peregrine after the 12:10 Mass on Mondays, we include a petition for healing from violence. Perhaps each of us could remember to include a prayer to St. Peregrine from time to time this summer. Peregrine understood how easily we can be drawn into a culture of violence. He also understood that with God’s help, we can escape and find our true calling in life..

                                             Fr. Joe