Archdiocese of Detroit, Hallow App launch I AM HERE, promoting transformational encounters with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist

Editor's note: This media advisory has been updated to reflect the accurate number of meditations available at launch through the Hallow App.

June 14, 2022 — The Archdiocese of Detroit and Hallow App are launching the I AM HERE campaign to inspire people to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and experience His transformational power.

The I AM HERE campaign launched today, Tuesday, June 14 in support of the National Eucharistic Revival in the U.S. Catholic Church. It includes a website and social media channels featuring stories from individuals who have been transformed by their encounters with Christ in the Eucharist; a series of free audio meditations on Hallow, the #1 Catholic app, to help people pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and an opportunity for parishes to partner with I AM HERE to share their own stories and promote eucharistic adoration in their communities.

“Our goal is to see an increase in people participating in eucharistic adoration in parishes by two, or three, or even by ten. We hope to see our parishes transformed by people growing in love for Jesus Christ and in their zeal to communicate this love with others,” said Edmundo Reyes, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Detroit. “We are excited to share with everyone these beautiful photo essays and powerful testimonies from individuals who have had encounters with Christ in the Eucharist, and we are looking forward to hearing more from people around the country.”

The I AM HERE website hosts stories and accepts submissions from those wishing to share their own experiences. One story will be featured each week with a photo essay and in-depth, first-person account of the transformational power of Christ in the Eucharist. Featured stories will be highlighted on the website and through I AM HERE social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

In partnership with Hallow App, I AM HERE is also offering eight audio meditations written and voiced by Julianne Stanz, a nationally known speaker, writer, and storyteller who serves as Director of Discipleship and Parish Life for the Diocese of Green Bay, a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization, and a member of the executive team for the National Eucharistic Revival. There is an additional meditation by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, chairman of the National Eucharistic Revival. The meditations are designed to guide the faithful in their prayers before the Blessed Sacrament and are available free of charge through the Hallow App. More meditations will be added at a later date.

“Our mission at Hallow is to help people pray, so this was a natural partnership for us to provide these wonderful meditations to help people as they pray before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,” said Kevin Cotter, Head of Content at Hallow. “Our first six meditations take the listener on a journey of encountering Christ in the Eucharist, each centering on a truth about the nature of God: I am with you; I am love; I am the way.

“Whether you listen and pray for one minute or one hour, we hope that you will leave refreshed and renewed in your relationship with God and inspired to return again to prayer very soon.”

I AM HERE is partnering with parishes to increase awareness of and opportunities for eucharistic adoration, first in the Archdiocese of Detroit and then expanding to parishes throughout the United States. Partnering parishes will receive banners and postcards that they can use to promote eucharistic adoration in their parish, and I AM HERE organizers will help gather stories from parishioners who have experienced the power of the Eucharist in their lives. These stories will be published on a dedicated page for the parish on the I AM HERE website. Parishes wishing to get involved can contact iamhere@aod.org.

I AM HERE was created in support of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year, grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist – the source and summit of the Catholic faith. Its purpose is to ask the Holy Spirit to ignite a fire that unleashes a movement of Catholics across the United States who are healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. The Revival officially begins on Corpus Christi, June 19, 2022, leading to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN, from July 17-21, 2024.

“The National Eucharistic Revival is inviting the U.S. Church to reclaim our most central truth: the gift of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. I am so pleased to see the Archdiocese of Detroit and Hallow App come together for this purpose,” said Bishop Cozzens, bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota and chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis and the National Eucharistic Revival. “It is my hope that soon we will see members of the faithful, parishes, and entire dioceses throughout the country join this effort to renew the Church by enkindling in everyone a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

“The Eucharist has the power to transform the world, if we allow it to transform us.”

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