Washington D.C., May 25, 2021 / 16:01 pm
The Archbishop of Philadelphia this week invited Catholics back to Sunday Mass, emphasizing the importance of in-person attendance.
The real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist “is not something we can experience virtually,” Archbishop Nelson Perez wrote in a May 24 letter to Catholics in the archdiocese, on Pentecost Sunday. “Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is real and our personal presence is required to receive it.”
In his letter, Archbishop Perez announced a new initiative that will “involve the entire Archdiocese,” and will “feature an invitation for everyone to recognize more profoundly the irreplaceable need to be in person for the celebration of Sunday Mass.” Perez read his letter “Nothing Compares to Being There” at the 11 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.
He affirmed that “as Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ.” The Eucharist deserves our own reflection and appreciation, he wrote.