Bishop Michael Izen found himself turning around to marvel at the crowd –– and even took a picture –– during the May 27 Source and Summit Eucharistic procession of more than 7,000 people in St. Paul.
At the same time, he is humbly grateful every day for the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist as he celebrates Mass.
“How humbling it is that the Lord, the Holy Spirit, uses me for consecration, so that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ,” Bishop Izen told former “Practicing Catholic” producer Kayla Mayer in a program that debuts at 9 p.m. July 12 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. “That has an impact every day.”
Mayer’s interview with Bishop Izen reflected on Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and along the Marian Route, one of four National Eucharistic Pilgrimages that began in different corners of the country and are coming together for the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis.
At the very least, the Source and Summit procession was one of the largest in the country. It attracted thousands of people despite a threat of storms and the fact it was Memorial Day weekend, Bishop Izen noted.
“If you had asked me beforehand, I would have said, ‘Well, we’re hoping for 2,000. It’d be great if there’s more than 2,000 … to get that many people would be wonderful,” Bishop Izen said. “And so 7,000 was just staggering, that that many people would come out on Memorial Day afternoon and on a day where it looked like it was going to rain any moment, to spend it with the Lord and walking down Summit Avenue with our Lord in the Eucharist, was just really edifying for a bishop to see.”
To hear about an impactful, personal moment Bishop Izen had as a layperson during Eucharistic adoration, listen to the program, which repeats at 1 p.m. July 13 and 2 p.m. July 14. Bishop Izen also offers prayers and meditations to open the heart to Jesus while adoring or receiving the Eucharist.
The show includes a farewell to Mayer and a conversation with Robert Haarman, director of the archdiocese’s Office of Indian Ministry and community minister for Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis, about the ministry’s aim to be a resource for everyone as it serves Indigenous Catholics and the broader community.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program can be heard after it has aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
