Devotion to the holy Eucharist has deep roots in the City of Brotherly Love. While most people visit Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, run up the Rocky Steps and eat a cheesesteak, the city also has a rich Catholic culture, which merits a visit to see the birthplace of Eucharistic devotion in the United States.
As the Diocese of Arlington prepares to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in 2024, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has called for preparatory years with the themes of “Remember,” “Rejoice” and “Renew.” During this year of “remembering the past with gratitude,” the jubilee committee has planned several events at diocesan, deanery and parish levels to help increase devotion to the Eucharist.
Philadelphia was the location of the 41st International Eucharistic Conference in 1976, a weeklong event attended by more than 1.5 million people including 44 cardinals, 417 bishops, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, the future Pope John Paul II and even President Gerald Ford. The event has had lasting effects for American Catholics. Operation Rice Bowl, which raises money during Lent to fight world hunger, as well as the popular hymn, “Gift of Finest Wheat,” was born from the congress.
But the history of Philadelphia having Eucharistic devotions begins even earlier.
After spending the past six years in priestly formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary outside of Philadelphia, I had plenty of time to explore and discover the rich history of devotion this city has for the Eucharist. Less than three hours away from the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Philadelphia is a great daylong pilgrimage for families and parishes looking to be inspired by our Eucharistic faith and the saints who promoted it.
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
St. Katharine Drexel Shrine
saintkatharinedrexelshrine.com
Built between 1846 and 1864, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The magnificent beauty of the cathedral is worth the visit, but with a little searching, one can find the tomb of the second-born American saint. In 2018, the body of St. Katharine Drexel was moved there after the order she founded, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, sold their motherhouse.
St. Katharine founded her order to serve the needs of the African American and Native American people in the U.S. All the work that she and her order did flowed from their love and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Above her remains is a carved relief of a monstrance with angels adoring the Blessed Sacrament, as she did for so many years of her life.
St. Peter the Apostle Church
The National Shrine of St. John Neumann
stjohnneumann.org
Built in the 1840s and operated by the Redemptorists since, St. Peter the Apostle Church is home to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, Philadelphia’s fourth bishop. While the Redemptorist never lived or served there as a priest, it is his final resting place. He initially was interred in a grave in the basement of the church, but now is enclosed in glass under the altar in the lower church.
St. John Neumann is the one responsible for bringing the Forty Hours devotion to Philadelphia in 1853. In a time of severe anti-Catholic sentiment, he took a risk in establishing the Eucharistic devotion in every archdiocesan parish, even writing a devotional booklet and obtaining special indulgences for those who attended.
The shrine also operates a spectacular museum adjacent to the church, full of artifacts from the life of St. John Neumann.
St. Philip Neri Church
The first celebration of the Forty Hours Devotion
When St. John Neumann chose to first institute the Forty Hours devotion in Philadelphia, he chose St. Philip Neri Church in Queen Village because the parish’s patron saint, St. Philip Neri, introduced the devotion to Rome three centuries before.
Convent of Divine Love
Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters
adorationsisters.org
With all these visits to churches and saints devoted to the Eucharist, you’ll want to find some time for adoration. The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, popularly known as the Pink Sisters because of their distinct pink habits, have been adoring the Blessed Sacrament perpetually for more than 100 years. These cloistered nuns open their beautifully ornate chapel 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. every day for the public to come and adore the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
No trip to Philadelphia is complete without a cheesesteak. Between visits, make sure to stop by Reading Terminal Market to sample some amazing local foods.
A daylong pilgrimage full of many graces and blessings will be one to remember.
Fr. Smith is parochial vicar of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton.
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June 25, the Arlington diocese will send a pilgrimage of representatives from each parish to Philadelphia. During this year of “remembering the past with gratitude” in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Golden Jubilee, all Catholics are encouraged to visit these holy Eucharistic sites there.
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