‘We beg God to have mercy on His holy Church’
CHARLOTTE — Thousands of people knelt intently on the cold concrete floor of the Charlotte Convention Center Saturday morning, as Bishop Peter Jugis led them in praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary.
The unprecedented move – a first for the Diocese of Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress – was prompted in response to the turmoil that has shaken the Church in recent weeks, as revelations of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct and abuse of power by some Church leaders have been in the news.
“We are saddened, outraged and disgusted by these sins,” Bishop Jugis said before beginning the rosary during the Holy Hour of the Eucharistic Congress Sept. 8. The 14th annual event drew thousands of Catholics from across western North Carolina, but the usually joyful occasion took on a more penitential, somber tone this year.
This year’s Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Jugis said during his opening remarks Friday night, would be a time for all Catholics to pray, make reparation for sins, and encourage each other in pursuing holiness.
Looking at the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar inside the convention hall, the bishop said, “We want to bring before Him prayers of reparation for the horrible sins of abuse and misconduct upon the part of some leaders in the Church, as was revealed to us last month.”
The rosary of reparation was “offered for sins against purity,” he explained to the crowd gathered inside the convention center. “We offer the holy rosary of reparation for sins committed against chastity. We offer the holy rosary of reparation for sins committed against chaste Christian living. We offer the holy rosary of reparation for sins of abuse of power and authority in the Church. We beg God to have mercy on His holy Church.”
“Let us ask Him to cleanse and purify the Church from this open wound,” he continued, “and to bring healing to victims, and ask Him to help us all to dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of holiness.”
Bishop Jugis then took out his rosary from his pocket and knelt in front of the Blessed Sacrament, exposed on the altar for the entire Holy Hour of Reparation.
Making the sign of the cross, he began, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” The thousands of people inside the convention center dropped to their knees and crossed themselves, joining him in prayer.
The Holy Hour was held after a Eucharistic Procession in which thousands of people followed the Blessed Sacrament, carried by Bishop Jugis, and clergy and religious on a mile-long route through the streets of uptown Charlotte from St. Peter Church to the Charlotte Convention Center.
Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom gave the Holy Hour homily, meditating upon the Holy Hour reading from the Book of Daniel (Chapter 3): known as the Canticle of the Three Young Men.
He explained that this canticle is a Eucharistic prayer of praise and thanksgiving, by all of creation to the Creator. Similarly, we give thanks and praise during the Mass, the Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice to redeem the world,
“When you gaze at the Blessed Sacrament. exposed as the Host, you are gazing upon the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,” he said.
— Catholic News Herald. Photo by John Cosmas, Catholic News Herald
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