by Albert Lawes, Parish Catechist, Shepherd’s Bush Parish
One of the greatest attractions of Adoremus, the National Eucharistic Congress to be held in Liverpool over 7-9 September, will be the presence of Bishop Robert Barron. Together with Cardinal Nichols, Bishop Barron is the keynote speaker on the Saturday. Known to all Catholics familiar with social media, he is one of the most pre-eminent and compelling evangelists of our contemporary culture.
Originally a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he founded Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, the global media apostolate that seeks to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially through YouTube and Twitter. Pope Francis appointed him an Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles in 2015.
As one of the most followed Catholics on social media in the world, he has more than 1.5 million Facebook fans, over 115,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, and over 100,000 followers on Twitter. 350,000 people receive his daily email reflections and his videos have been viewed over 25 million times! His appeal is not limited to the Catholic world, as seen from his YouTube commentaries on topics as diverse as the music of Bob Dylan or the Star Wars films, to the philosophy of St Thomas Aquinas or the mystery of the Trinity.
He also created and hosted CATHOLICISM, an award-winning documentary series, used by many parishes and groups here in Westminster. It is a powerful and attractive presentation of the Catholic faith, containing Catholic art, poetry, philosophy, theology, prayer, and the saints.
Indeed, it is through the beauty of the Christian life that Bishop Barron seeks to attract people to Christ. What is more beautiful than the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and what is more essential for Christian living than to draw closer to him? Bishop Barron encourages us to draw close to the Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist: ‘I applaud this revival of Eucharistic Adoration, precisely because I agree with Vatican II that the liturgy is the source and summit of the Christian life.’
To hear Bishop Barron speak in Liverpool and to join the Church of England & Wales united in adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, contact adoremus@rcdow.org.uk or 07738 183829.
Visit https://rcdow.org.uk/faith/let-us-adore/ on our website, for complete event and booking details for Adoremus 2018.
