Father Joseph Jean-Louis was honored to accept the invitation from his archbishop to serve as a National Eucharistic preacher, and to visit diocesan communities and parishes across the country during the inaugural year of the National Eucharistic Revival.
“I believe this decision is one that the Lord has ordained for me, and I am humbled to be chosen to serve the Church in this manner,” said Father Jean-Louis, who serves in the Archdiocese of Miami. “I know it’s a demanding mission. It requires time, preparation and dedication, [and at] the same time, it is part of my mission as a priest.”
Father Jean-Louis is one of two National Eucharistic preachers who will be visiting the Diocese of Camden in March for the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress on March 25.
“My message will be a simple message – to bring people back to the Eucharist and help the people to believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,” he said. “This is where we encounter Christ himself, where he gives us his life and where he teaches us how to fulfill the meaning of our lives. He is the source and the summit.”
Father Jean-Louis was born in Haiti, and he entered the Pre-Novitiate for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in September 1995 following completion of his secondary school studies. He first professed his religious vows in 1997 in Blanchard Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and completed his studies in philosophy. Father Jean-Louis was then sent to Colombia to serve as a missionary before being sent to Bolivia, where he continued his formation and earned his bachelor’s degree in theology at San Pablo Catholic University.
After his ordination in Haiti in 2003, he returned to Colombia and served as a seminary director and vocations director for his congregation. He later studied in Madrid, Spain, and earned a degree specializing in family psychotherapy at Comillas Pontifical University.
He joined the Archdiocese of Miami in 2012 and served as an associate pastor in several parishes before being named administrator of Christ the King Church, Miami.
Reflecting on the importance of the National Eucharistic Revival, Father Jean-Louis spoke about the pivotal moment that the Church finds itself in today.
“The pandemic brought us a new reality we have to deal with as a Church. It is a crucial moment to help our communities to grow in love with the Eucharist and understand that we believe in the real presence of Jesus, not the virtual presence of Jesus,” he said.
“I think the National Eucharistic Revival is important for the present and future of the Church. In this difficult time we are living in, it is a great opportunity for me as a priest to motivate people about the value and the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church, and also in our lives as Christians and followers of Christ.”
On March 25, thousands of faithful across South Jersey will come together for the first-ever Diocesan Eucharistic Congress at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden. The Congress will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and doors will open at 8 a.m. Admission and parking are free, and the Congress is open to individuals, families and groups. For free tickets, visit camdendiocese.org/ectix. For more information, visit eucharisticrevivalsouthjersey.org or avivamientoeucaristicosj.org.
“The Congress will help the people to see the Eucharist with new eyes, but also to embrace the mystical body of Christ in a very powerful way,” Father Jean-Louis said. “We will see thousands of Catholics who love the Eucharist gathered together in Camden, and I think that we all will take great courage and strength from such an encounter. I’m hopeful that we will produce great fruits and will lead the people to a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.”
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