Almost two months after the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, the 250 delegates who attended from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland still feel the power of the event and are spreading the joy.
Mary Semancik from Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake said she and some other delegates from parishes in Lorain County have set up a mini texting group.
“We have formed a little social network to help each other remember the key highlights,” Semancik said. “We want to keep the memories alive and pass them on to others.”
Watch Mary's Journey via the video player above.
Semancik said her fervor to help others understand the true power of Jesus in the Eucharist all started with a family tragedy. She lost her husband Joe of 40 years to cancer and said watching him grow in his faith during his illness helped her rediscover her own.
Even after his death, Semancik said her late husband would send her messages from heaven. She continued to manage his phone and the reminder to attend weekly adoration kept going off. Semancik thought that she would go just temporarily to fill the slot. But the Holy Spirit had other plans.
“It’s quiet time by yourself and you realize that Jesus is in front of you,” she said. “It was divine intervention with the Holy Spirit that came upon me. And Jesus told me, this is where I need to be.”
Semancik first shared her story in a video produced by the Eucharistic Revival Committee at her parish.
“It all started with that project,” she said. “It was God’s will that I share my story in an effort to help others understand the power of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”