Missionaries who found strength, solace and Christ’s presence through the Eucharist
In the mission field strength and solace can be hard to find. Pervasive poverty, unjust oppression and wounding conflict surface more often and challenge each person and whole communities. The remedy, of course, is Christ, especially as He is encountered in His body and blood in the Eucharist. Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist has the power to uplift us, strengthen us in distress and give us a taste of His glory. Three brief accounts of victory can encourage us in hard times.
Pervasive poverty has a debilitating effect. Losing everything can make efforts feel futile and undermine future initiatives. That was the case in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria caused island-wide fatalities and devastation in 2017. Their plight inspired St. James the Greater Parish in Eau Claire. Their leadership established a connection and reached out to the Catholic community in Luquillo, less than an hour from the capital city, San Juan. Since then, four mission groups have traveled to work at several locations including the San Jose Parish, four different rural mission chapels and a retreat center.
Feeding the Crowd and Uniting in the Lord’s Joy
Jacky Miller, a retired employee of St. James the Greater Parish, was one of the pioneers in the mission relationship. She recalls, “When we first visited, there was very little activity. The recovery from Hurricane Maria was so overwhelming that they didn’t know how to proceed. But as we arrived, they began to organize more activities. It has been enjoyable to watch the evolution of their efforts.”
One of the severely damaged chapels had not been used for years. As Jacky describes it, “The mission was located further up in the hills, and they hadn’t held any services there for a long time. The community was older, which limited their capabilities. However, when we began cleaning, they provided us with lunch every day. They were like Jesus feeding the crowd on the hillside; they wanted to nourish us and be part of restoring their chapel.”
Lizzy Moreira, the parish volunteer and hospitality coordinator, was present when the project was completed and the local community was able to worship there again. With gratitude in her voice, she recalled, “It was March 2020, on Ash Wednesday in that year. I remember the community was just so happy. They were so welcoming. Again, Mass started in that chapel.” The Eucharist brought people together, transcending language and loss and united everyone in sharing the Lord’s joy.
shares a warm moment with Father Woody Pace,
director of the Mission Office, at San Jose Parish in Luquillo.
Violence and Forgiveness
Unjust oppression is all too common in our world. Many may remember the tragic bombings at two Catholic churches, a Christian Community and three international hotels on Easter Sunday morning April 21, 2019, in Sri Lanka. The coordinated violence killed 269 people and left hundreds more injured. Father Cryton Outschoorn, from the Diocese of Batticaloa in Sri Lanka, and now Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Lyndon Station, remembers well the event and its aftermath. People were mourning and afraid to gather for prayer. The local church immediately called for justice but sought no retaliation. Instead, they worked together to bridge previous divides.
Meditating on the event, Father Cryton said, “In Sri Lanka, we have two language groups, Tamil and Sinhalese. They are often in conflict with each other. But after the Easter attack, a renewed communion was really brought about. People started caring for each other, especially the victims.” The need to gather for the Eucharist restored a sense of communion and trust.
Father Cryton continued, “In the Acts of the Apostles the members of the early Church came together for the ‘breaking of the bread.’ As we returned to the Eucharist in our communities, each parish formed a ‘vigilance group.’ They were tasked with watching for strangers, or those with ill intent. What happened, though, is that they came to know each other better. It created a really beautiful thing as they took an interest and learned more about each other. The tragedy did not weaken their faith; it strengthened it. Like the early Church under persecution, they grew in number and in love.” Acts of terror are intended to divide and scatter, but in the eucharistic presence of our Lord, the opposite happens—we are gathered and given strength.
The Healing Eucharistic Presence of Christ
Human conflict can cause grave wounds. But Jesus gave us the Eucharist to heal. Father Michael Apurio, a priest of Moroto Diocese in northern Uganda, has visited many of our parishes for the summer Mission Coop Program and has maintained friendships through St. Mary Parish in Neillsville. Father Michael lives and works among the Karamajong people who have a traditional semi-nomadic culture that revolves around herding livestock. The arid land produces only a small harvest and starvation periodically results from no rain and failed crops. Conflict among the clans is often dangerous and sometimes fatal.
Father Michael is actively shepherding the warriors toward peace with conferences titled, “God’s Love, Mercy and Forgiveness.” The practical events bring together groups that have been hostile to one another. They elect representatives to come forward and publicly ask for forgiveness from those with whom they have been in conflict. Father Michael stands on behalf of the Church, receives the request for pardon and prays a blessing over all the people present.
Finally, the eucharistic presence of Christ, carried in a ‘March for Peace,’ crowns the conference week. Father Michael explains, “This is carried out through a procession of the Blessed Sacrament that travels through the villages. We stop at various locations to pray for specific intentions, often at places where assaults have occurred, where someone was killed, or in areas known for accidents.” The procession finally goes back to the church where Mass is held for the intention of reconciling individuals and communities. This encounter with God’s love enriches the love of neighbor.
Father Michael shares his testimony about Jesus in the Eucharist, “Our experience is that many people have come to love this form of apostolate and many have changed their ways of life and become peaceful and even become prayerful people.” In other words, Christ can heal the deepest wounds when the glory of God is manifest in adoration, procession and worship. There, He gives us hope and peace.
The stories of Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka and Uganda reveal a profound truth: the Eucharist is not merely a sacrament to be received—it is an encounter with the living Christ, who strengthens, heals and unites us. From restoring devastated communities to bridging divides caused by violence and leading former enemies toward reconciliation, Jesus in the Eucharist continues to transform lives, even in the harshest of circumstances.
Becoming Instruments of His Love and Peace in the World
This same eucharistic power is available to each of us. Whether we face challenges in our families, workplaces or communities, Christ calls us to turn to Him for strength and solace. In receiving the Eucharist, we are not only nourished spiritually but also equipped to become instruments of His love and peace in the world.
Let these accounts of faith inspire you to reflect on your own journey. What environments in your life challenge your faith and virtue? How has Jesus in the Eucharist strengthened you in difficult times? Perhaps now is the moment to deepen your devotion to the Eucharist—through more frequent reception at Mass, eucharistic adoration or even participating in a eucharistic procession or mission that brings Christ to others.
The invitation is simple yet profound: give your time to Jesus in the Eucharist. In His presence, you will find the grace to overcome trials, the courage to extend forgiveness and the strength to serve others in His name. Through the Eucharist, Christ transforms not only missionaries in faraway lands but also each of us, calling us to be His light in the world. Will you answer that call?
By Father Woodrow “Woody” Pace, director of Mission Office