“Jesus Thirsts for America” to bring Eucharistic Revival across US

The National Eucharistic Revival is right around the corner, and Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry is preparing to bring it to every corner of the US. This Catholic group is organizing a three-year tour of the US, titled “Jesus Thirsts for America,” which will spur the revival through catechesis and community-building. The 21-city tour will kick off in Orange County, California, on November 19, 2022, and they’re inviting everyone to join in the festivities. 

Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry is an international Catholic ministry that aims to lead people everywhere to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. It was founded and is led by Deacon Steve Greco, an ordained permanent deacon of the Catholic Church, who was inspired to action by the Holy Spirit after the successes of the virtual summit in the Year of St. Joseph. 

On their website, they explain that their mission is: 

Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry explains that their “Jesus Thirsts for America” tour, part of their “I Thirst” movement, will be deeply sacramental and will send out a “powerful call to action” inviting attendees to publicly commit, or re-commit, themselves to Jesus Christ. The movement will work in tandem with the US bishops' initiative for Eucharistic Revival to provide the faithful with an means to embrace the revival as a community. 

Their events, which will take place in seven cities each year, will organize gatherings at local churches for inspirational talks from evangelists. These gatherings will offer Confession throughout the day as well as an opportunity to experience the power of the Eucharist through the Catholic Mass. Furthermore, those who attend a “Jesus Thirsts for America” event will return home equipped with “tools to better pass on the faith as an evangelist in these challenging times.”

Deacon Steve Greco sat down with Aleteia to discuss the upcoming events of the “Jesus Thirsts for America” tour, as well as the “I Thirst” movement initiated by Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry.

Aleteia: What does the Eucharistic revival mean to you and how will Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry and the “Jesus Thirsts for America” events facilitate this revival?

Deacon Steve: The Eucharist revival, which is of course led by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is one of the most important things, I believe, that the Church has done in many years, because of the surveys that have come out showing that up to two-thirds of practicing Catholics don't understand the Real Presence or don't really even believe in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist.

This gives people an opportunity to understand the power of the Mass, the power of the Eucharist, to understand that since the beginning of the Church, Christians believed in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and in the Mass. So this is something that is really, really necessary and it ties in with the national Eucharistic revival by the USCCB.

It’s about creating Eucharistic evangelists, which will happen at the conference in Indianapolis, in 2024. So, it is something incredibly important for us to do throughout the country. That's what the “I Thirst” movement is about: Eucharistic evangelization. It's about getting people excited about their faith, about the Eucharist, and getting them to share their faith with other people.

What would you like to see in order to consider a Eucharistic revival in the United States to be successful? 

Deacon Steve: More people going to Mass and understanding that the faith is based upon what we believe in through the sacraments, the Mass, and the Eucharist. Also, for them to learn how to share their faith with other people.

We have been called to be evangelists from the earliest of times and by the scriptures – like Matthew 28 or Mark 16 – we are called to make disciples of all nations. We are called to be evangelists to share the Good News. And so once you understand the Real Presence, it empowers you to share the Good News.

In fact, our slogan for the “I Thirst” movement is, “Eucharistic revival empowers evangelization.” So the more we understand about the power of the Eucharist and the power of the Mass, the more we want to share it with other people. 

You mentioned that we're all called to be evangelists. What would you say is the best way for a layperson to evangelize? 

Deacon Steve: Evangelization means sharing the Good News. And what is the Good News? Good News is your own personal testimony as to why you believe. Why are you Catholic? Why do you go to Mass? It’s called being the Fifth Gospel. When you tell your story of why Jesus, the Mass, and the sacraments are so important to you, you become the fifth Gospel.

So that's really what we're called to do, to share our personal faith. When we do that, people can relate as we talk about our own struggles and challenges. When we talk about why we turned our life to Jesus Christ it adds credibility and realism. It can make such a big difference in other people's lives.

In your press release, you noted that you'll be entrusting your intentions to the intercession of St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, Venerable Fulton Sheen, and Blessed Carlo Acutis. How were these holy people selected and how will your events honor them? 

Deacon Steve: Well, it certainly relates to St. Teresa of Calcutta. It was her calling within the call in which, on a train ride, Jesus appeared to her and said, “I thirst for souls.” So the overall “I Thirst” movement is really a product of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Venerable Fulton Sheen, on the other hand, was an evangelist, so he becomes very much the patron saint for evangelization as it relates to what we believe.

St. John Paul II said the most important thing that we could do is to share our faith from post Vatican II. He said that's what the Church is called to do: create evangelists. So really all the saints have all basically said the same thing, which is that we are called to share our faith and to bring other people to the Lord.

You also noted that Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry is developing a 12-month follow up program in order to provide attendees continued community and catechesis. What will this look like? 

Deacon Steve: This is extremely important for people who are part of the “I Thirst” movement. When they sign up, each week for 52 weeks, they will receive a lesson on understanding our faith and the power of the Eucharist in the Mass, as well as various aspects of the Mass. They will also be sent various teachings on how to share their faith with those closest to them – their spouses, their children, their grandchildren – and even how to share their faith at work.

There will be a whole series of different videos from the Norbertine priests and others in which the faithful will be instructed on catechesis and how to implement the various lessons. It is so very important that we not just hold a conference, but we provide the training necessary on how people need to share their faith.

What would you say to someone who is a lapsed Catholic or perhaps struggling in their faith who may be interested in the Eucharistic Revival but they're not sure if they should attend an “I Thirst” event?

Deacon Steve: You are welcome. We love you with the love of Jesus and want you to learn more about how much Jesus loves you. We can support you in your journey. 

All of us are in the biggest room: The room for improvement. All of us need help from one another. No one is better than anybody else. We're are all basically equal before the Lord. We're sinners who need a savior, and we're always here for each other. So we welcome you and we love you. Please come. 

And if you’re looking to support the “I Thirst” movement, we ask that people to pray for us. We look forward to seeing each of you at the “I Thirst” events. Please feel free to bring your friends!

Visit Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry to learn more.