Eucharistic Crusade

Rev Fr Vianney Vandendaele

Father Edouard Poppe and the Eucharist Method

In order to develop the spirit of the Crusade, Fr Albert Bessière, who founded the Eucharistic Crusade in 1917, continued the work of two Belgian priests: that of Fr Jules Lintelo, who published the bimonthly review, L'Action Eucharistique, from 1911 to 1914 with the aim of propagating the Eucharistic decrees of Pope Pius X; and that of Fr Edouard Poppe (1890–1924), whose very practical ‘Méthode Eucharistique’ was aimed at a real interior work of the soul, under the influence of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The spirit of the Eucharistic Crusade does not revolve around a lifeless abstract ideal but on the living Divine Person present in the Holy Eucharist, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The goals of Eucharistic formation are to know Our Lord and to love Him in order to serve Him always more perfectly.

It is based on that conviction that Fr Poppe created a great movement of popular piety among youth in 1914 by using the “Eucharist Method”. To promote Eucharistic devotion among children, he used practical means such as a conduct card, weekly notes and reviews and educational meetings.

A Tool of Education for Parents

By orienting the children’s spirituality towards the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the Eucharistic Crusade, parents have a powerful tool for developing the piety of their children and instilling in them the essential characteristic of a good Catholic, that is, the spirit of sacrifice. Indeed, these devotions make us contemplate the example of Our Lord Himself, who constantly gives Himself out of love for our souls and wants us to do the same in return.

Keeping this example constantly at the front of children’s eyes will help them later, in their adult life, by having acquired the habit of a genuine gift of self in little things, and this for important motives. Children of the Eucharistic Crusade are given a special intention for which they are asked to offer up their prayers and sacrifices each month. Their developing gift of self will be then the best expression of a real charity towards God and neighbour.

By reminding their children of their promises, encouraging various devotions throughout the year with the help of the monthly magazine, Hostia (available in chapels) and ensuring that children fill in their Treasure Sheets daily (like in Father Poppe’s Eucharistic Method), parents will help them to continually develop their generosity and Catholic spirit of sanctification, guiding them to the path of Heaven.

Learn more

For more information about the Eucharistic Crusade of Great Britain, see the Eucharistic Crusade webpage and past issues of Hostia magazine.

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