Parish
St. Felix Catholic Church
Wabasha, MN 55981
Diocese of Winona
United States
More Info
For more information, email Carol Seydel.
Categories: Faith Formation, Outreach, Sacraments
This exhibition presents 126 Eucharistic Miracles through photographs and historical descriptions. Throughout the ages, the Church has recognized these miracles from various countries as testimony to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
"This was a very powerful, prayerful experience and many people came up to me afterwards and expressed appreciation for bringing the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit to St. Felix. People heard about it afterwards and were willing to drive 50 to 60 miles to see it." Fr. Glenn Frerichs, Pastor of St. Felix Catholic Church, Wabasha, MN
The need it meets
Education on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. To increase faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and bolster Eucharistic adoration.
Where it came from
We have had perpetual adoration for over two years now. We were contacted by another parish that was hosting the exhibit. As soon as we saw it we were so overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit that we knew it had to be offered at our parish.
How it works
- A display of 140 posters of 126 Eucharistic miracles that have taken place in many different countries. All have been approved by the Church.
- The displays, stands, banners, donation box, and sign-in sheets all come with the exhibit. All the display items come in four boxes - small enough to fit into a van.
- A parish committee to arrange publicity, set-up, people to work the exhibit, and take it down.
The results
At least 350 people viewed the exhibit. Seminarians came from Winona, 40 miles away. It was a wonderful experience to be able to spread the Good News of Jesus really present in the Holy Eucharist.
Some typical comments:
"It was amazing how so many of the miracles happened because of a lack of faith."
"Thank you for bringing this to our parish. We need to see something of this magnitude each year to renew our belief in the Holy Eucharist."
"It is amazing that you could transform this regular gym into a spiritual environment to educate and allow the Holy Spirit to work His power through all those who come to meditate and pray here."
Key elements
- A committed group working together in planning, setting up, publicizing and staffing the exhibit.
- Most of the work is in the set-up, which requires a good floor plan for the displays.
- Spiritual background music (instrumental is best).
- Anticipate special visitors: the press, school groups, etc.
How to implement it
- First Step: Contact Carol Seydel via email at trp33@att.net for a FREE kit which includes three DVDs.
- The exhibit posters can be printed from the DVDs or borrowed from http://www.therealpresence.org.
- Decide when and where to schedule the exhibit; choose 6-12 people to get the tasks done.
- Publicity is key: emails, flyers, bulletins, newspapers, radio, TV, schools (this was the biggest job).
- Three or four people to set up tables, chairs, decorations, and posters. One or two people to implement the floor plan for positioning the posters, and two or three to clip them onto the cardboard stands.
- Decoration ideas: statues, candles, flowers, rosaries, Bibles, papal pictures, and a Blessed Virgin Mary display.
- Put up a display of books, videos, and further reading in faith formation.
- Kids area: A lot of families came. Create a coloring area where children can color saints and Bible pictures while their parents enjoy the exhibit.
- Sign-in table: A registration book comes with the exhibit. This book is a good resource to see where people have come from to see the exhibition.
Submitted by Pat Kolb on May 6, 2008.
Fr. Glenn Frerichs is pastor of St. Felix Catholic Church.