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Eucharistic Revival, Derry

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What’s happening in Ireland

Our City in Derry in the North of Ireland has suffered.  The Derry City Walls built during the 1600s tell a story of British oppression and persecution.  During ‘The Troubles’, a period of 30 years from the 1960s to 1998, Derry went through trauma, grief and untold suffering as sectarian violence and feuds were ongoing between paramilitary groups.

The trauma and suffering did not end with the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ which brought about fragile peace from sectarianism.  The people across Derry and the rest of Northern Ireland continue to struggle with PTSD, issues of poverty, despair, mental illness, unemployment, imprisonment, addiction, violence, family breakdown, and suicide.  Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide in the UK with higher rates among men and the youth.

It is into this darkness that Jesus chose to come and shine bright

The Franciscan friars of the renewal settled in Derry in 2010 and since then they have ministered to the broken rejected and most in need in derry.  They offer love, material assistance and a journey into intimacy with God as well as an invitation to find the ultimate joy in knowing that regardless of circumstances we are loved as sons and daughters of God.

The CFR friars regularly swap about the members of their community within the different friaries.  In September 2023 Fr Antonio Maria Diez De Medina CFR was transferred to Derry Northern Ireland from London.  In London Fr Antonio had been in active ministry with young adults alive in their faith as well as walking alongside a group called Cenacle Charismatic London led by Ania Graglewska,  a Polish lady living in London sharing the joys of her own healing miracle and her love of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit.

Fr Antonio could see the amazing love the people of Derry have for their faith , the Eucharist, Our Lady and our celebrated Sr Clare Crockett, newly made servant of God.  Fr Antonio and his friends from Cenacle London decided to come alongside those in Derry seeking breakthrough for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Ireland.

Many of us in Derry wanted to be part of raising up Jesus in the most Holy Eucharist as the ONLY solution to all of what our people are suffering.  The Franciscan friars of the renewal and a dedicated team of lay people began to step out in faith for something brand new to us.  Fr Antonio encouraged us as we got in contact with other CFR friars in America to hear about how massive Eucharistic processions going across the whole of America were bringing about an ‘on fire’ Eucharistic Revival.  In particular we connected with Br Damien Novak CFR in Newark New Jersey, Fr Gabriel Kyte CFR in Albuquerque New Mexico and more recently Fr John Anthony Boughton CFR who is the General Servant of the community in the Bronx New York.  

As we experienced and heard the witness of the friars and others in America talking about life changing experiences in the Eucharistic processions they were part of we found we were catching fire with the same flame of love! The same Eucharistic burning fire of the heart!

We had our first Eucharistic procession in Derry Ireland in the neighbourhood around the friary on 28th October 2023.  This was a direct response to what we felt God wanted to come against the Halloween culture that has developed in our city over the recent decades as people, hurting and hungry for meaning and spirituality, search in pagan Irish shamanism and witchcraft for the solution to their problems.  Derry has become so immersed in these alternative spiritualities that it boasts it’s title as Halloween capital of Europe.  

The Eucharistic procession on 28th October 2023 just before Halloween was a cry from Our Lord in the Eucharist and His body of Christ the Catholic faith community in Derry , the Eucharistic beating heart of Jesus , to return to God who Is Love. Our God who has already done all this before us, who has won the battle against sin and death and is offering us Himself, body blood soul and divinity and an invitation to eternal life in Him.

The Emmaus 2023 neighbourhood Eucharistic Procession was so well received and celebrated that Fr Antonio and his friends from London met with several of us to do something brand new for Derry in the new year 2024

Human Life International Ireland , Executive Director Patrick McCrystal, and many of the local Derry people felt our Lord wanted the next Eucharistic procession event along with the Cenacle London Charismatic involvement to be a breakthrough for LIFE.  Patrick McCrystal held a reception after the procession at a hotel in the city centre.  This gave an opportunity for all the teams involved in organising the procession to unite.  What was communicated was a sense of joy and overwhelming to tears.  We knew we were part of something supernatural.  We could not process what had just happened.  Under the permission of Bishop Donal McKeown led by The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, diocesan  priests, seminarians, the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration from Silverstream Priory , the Home of the Mother Sisters (Sr Clare Crockett’s Order)  and hundreds of lay people had just completed the first breakthrough Eucharistic procession through the arches of the Derry city walls in 400 years! We felt the sense that God was breaking bonds of division  and free masonic strongholds.

The impact was phenomenal.  People were kneeling and crying in the streets, blessing themselves, walking with us.  At one point as the Divine Mercy Chaplet was being sung and the Eucharist was being raised high in the town square everyone in the square came to their knees in reverence and worship even busy shoppers and security guards.  

The Effatha ‘be opened’ Eucharistic procession was incredibly significant.  The intentions of the people of Derry and the priests included:  hearts to be opened to God and others, reparation and repentance for the world’s turning away from God and His commandments, the undoing of global forces of fear evil lies and sin, revival and unity in the Church, the end of human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia, the Spirit of Truth to bring freedom, priests to be deeply Marian and Eucharistic.

The Effatha procession in Derry also kickstarted 40 days of perpetual adoration all over the world where the team in London had put together a website allowing adorers to sign up to an hour no matter what time zone or geographical location.  It was hugely successful and the graces of the Eucharistic revival were evident all through it. Momentum was building.  

Then on 12th December 2024 the lay teams and the Franciscan friars and sisters of the renewal organised a Eucharistic Procession in their neighbourhood in Derry to celebrate the patroness of their community Our Lady of Guadalupe.  This procession attracted huge attention and support and was filmed by EWTN.  Many school children of all ages came out to join us as the procession passed the school yards.  Some of the older students passed out roses and miraculous medals to people passing in cars and on the walkways.  Again we witness families and the elderly in their gardens some with tears streaming down their faces kneeling and blessing themselves.

Before plans for the 12th December 2024 Eucharistic procession had even begun the teams received in prayer that Our Lord was putting it on our hearts to have an even bigger, wider reaching Eucharistic procession, in 2025 on the feast of St Brigid , Saturday 1st February, one of the most significant days in Ireland as St Brigid is our patron Saint along with St Patrick. One young man in the team who dearly loves Our Lady said he felt that maybe Our Lady was asking for a Eucharistic procession in Medjugorje on the same day at the same time as us.  Immediately the announcement went viral.  Fr Leon in Medjugorje and his team instantly gave their yes in unity and agreement, there were tears and emotions stirred up as the power of the Holy Spirit came upon everyone around the world saying yes. 

All of a sudden people from all over the world began getting in touch with us to say they were doing Eucharistic processions to unite with us too.   We began to realise St Brigid was interceding for us!  She famously asked the King of Ireland if she could have for God all of the land wherever she spread her cloak.  The King said yes and miraculously her cloak covered the whole of Ireland causing a huge revival and return to the faith in Ireland in the years around 500AD. 

Most recently we got news that Fr George Stewart a priest in the Bronx New York is leading a Eucharistic Procession to unite with us.  We also just heard about 3 Eucharistic processions that will be happening in Dublin and converging at the Radio Maria studios as well as another procession in Manchester England with the Men of St Joseph.

Another phenomenon that has blossomed form the Eucharistic revival is the communities coming forward to cover everything in prayers of intercession in 24 hour adoration across the feast of St Brigid 1st Feb 2024. Most recently we heard from Fr Gerry Campbell and ‘The 12’ in Knockbridge, County Louth Ireland and Craig Lodge House of Prayer in Argyll Scotland , both doing 24 hour worship and adoration to pray and intercede for worldwide Eucharistic Revival along with us.

The Eucharistic Processions, adoration and pilgrimages of coach loads of people coming from all around is snowballing!

Intentions for the 1st Feb Eucharistic procession which is due to be attended by hundreds of school children who will be leading us behind the priests carrying the  Eucharist are: that world governments recognise Jesus Christ as King, the end of abortion, euthanasia, war and other measures detrimental to human life, for the healing of families from sin division addiction and suicide, for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the global elite agendas and healthcare dictatorships to give way to the tranquillity of God’s order, that the Holy Spirit pour out a new Pentecost of hope during the Jubilee Year 2025.

We are seeing mighty miracles in our midst.  Please get involved!  This is a Eucharistic Revival! Jesus is coming for His people!