Launching a Year of the Eucharist for his archdiocese, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has called on Catholics to give priority to the Eucharist.

He was addressing a crowd of tens of thousands gathered for the inauguration ceremony and blessing of the sick at the National Basilica Church, Tewatta, on the outskirts of Colombo, on Aug. 29.

The theme for the Eucharistic year is Let the Eucharist transform you to be a blessing.

“I urge all clergy to kneel down and respect the Eucharist and guide parishioners on that path,” Archbishop Ranjith told the crowd. “The Holy Eucharist is God, not a simply a slice of bread,” he emphasized.

Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Vatican was the chief guest at the event.

Speaking in Italian, he urged pilgrims to maintain their faith in the Eucharist. “Don’t be afraid. God will protect you always. This year of the Eucharist will strengthen all of you,” said Cardinal Llovera.

Catholics in the massive crowd expressed their approval for the Eucharist Year.

“Veneration of the saints has become more popular than veneration of the Eucharist,” Anusha Fernando, a Sunday school teacher, told ucanews.com.

“It is very discouraging that people of other faiths only know about Catholic saints such as Saint Anthony, Saint Sebastian, Saint Peter and Saint James,” Arvin de Mel agreed.

The archdiocese will promote knowledge of the Eucharist through poster campaigns, seminars, grassroots programs and media articles during the Eucharistic year.

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