A feature documentary set for release in June aims to draw moviegoers to a deeper understanding of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
“Jesus’ love is made present through the Eucharist,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens says in the trailer for “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist.” “He didn’t want to leave us orphans; he left us himself in the Eucharist.”
Bishop Cozzens, of the Diocese of Crookston and chairman of the National Eucharistic Revival, is among prominent Catholics lending their voices to the film. Others include Scott Hahn, founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology; Timothy Gray, president of the Augustine Institute, soon to be based in St. Louis; Father Donald Calloway, of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary; Patrick Kelly, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus; and the Sisters of Life.
These experts offer their insights and testimonies alongside scenes filmed in the United States and in countries including Poland, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uganda, Canada and Slovenia.
“This movie will be a point of grace for every Catholic believer — those who are curious — and those who may have strayed from the sacraments,” executive producer Deacon Steve Greco of the Diocese of Orange in California, which co-sponsored the film, said in a news release. “This movie belongs to the body of Christ, and it’s our time to bring our brothers and sisters home to the true presence of Jesus Christ.”
“It’s not just a symbol; it is Jesus himself,” said director and producer Tim Moriarty of Castletown Media, which also produced “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love.” “As our team at Castletown Media worked on the film, we knew we needed to show the universality of our faith and how the Eucharist unites us as one body in Christ. We hope that it will spur a movement that leads people back to Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and ultimately, a belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.”
“We all have an insatiable desire for the infinite, and as we walk through life, we seek to undo this hunger in many ways,” said executive producer Eduardo Verástegui, an actor and filmmaker noted for his role in the 2023 film “Sound of Freedom” as well as for his films “Bella,” “Little Boy” and “Cabrini.”
“The Eucharist, however, is the way that God chose to stay with us. He is the only one that can satisfy our hunger,” Verástegui said. “With this movie, we have a powerful instrument in our hands to lead hungry, lost and broken men and women to the truth of Jesus Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.”
Through a partnership with Fathom Events, the film will be shown in select theaters nationwide — including cities in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — June 4, 5 and 6. Find ticket information online.
The film also includes a bonus feature, “Our Lady of Guadalupe: Woman of the Eucharist,” produced by the Knights of Columbus.
Learn more about the film online at jesusthirstsfilm.com.
