From Revival to Renaissance: What One Man Shouted—and Why It Might Be True

The bold prediction that's starting to look prophetic

Los Angeles, California

"This isn't a revival, this is a renaissance!" he shouted, as the Eucharistic Procession entered the courtyard of the Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles.

"Because a revival's when something’s dead, and this Church certainly ain't dead!"

I didn't catch his name. Just his conviction. The videographer standing beside me turned to me, grinned, shrugged his shoulders, and we both laughed.

But the man’s words have haunted me ever since.

Revival or Renaissance?

At first, I shrugged it off. We’ve been using the word revival for years now — the National Eucharistic Revival, the Eucharistic Pilgrimage, all of it. And rightly so. Revival is part of our shared language as Catholics and Christians. It conjures up images of tents, preaching, fire, repentance, of souls roused from sleep and hearts reclaimed from despair.

A revival is something that gets the blood flowing again. It's urgent. Loud. Breathless. It has its place.

But what if this is something more?

What if what we're living through right now isn't just a comeback... but a rebirth?

Orange, California

Renaissance: Not Just a Return, But a Reawakening

The word renaissance means more than revival. It means a flowering. A time not only when something returns, but when it expands — when art is made, truth is sought, beauty flourishes, and the culture itself begins to breathe again.

Think about what Renaissance meant for the Church historically — it wasn't just about recovering the past, but about creating new forms of devotion, inspiring revolutionary architecture, and sparking fresh theological thinking. It was about the Church becoming a patron of beauty and truth in ways that transformed entire civilizations.

In that light, maybe what that man shouted was more than an outburst.

Maybe it was prophetic.

Over the last twelve days, I've been on the road photographing the St. Katharine Drexel route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. I've seen thousands line the streets, not just for a glimpse, but for Adoration — in deserts, cities, and mountain valleys. I've watched people kneel on concrete, burst into tears, and sing into the night.

In Flagstaff, I watched a young mother lift her toddler toward the Blessed Sacrament, whispering prayers I couldn't hear but whose urgency I could feel from twenty feet away. Perhaps that child will grow up remembering that moment — not as an event, but as an encounter.

I've seen hope come alive. But I've also witnessed signs of something deeper than momentary enthusiasm:

• Vocations are growing again. Dioceses like Hartford, Witchita, and Lincoln are welcoming their largest seminarian classes in years. Nationwide, nearly 3,000 men are in formation for the diocesan priesthood.
  

• Young people are returning to reverence. You can see it in Gen Z — in their hunger for Eucharistic Adoration, their love for tradition, and their bold public faith.
  

• Ash Wednesday and Easter Masses were packed. And something unusual happened this past Lent. Ash Wednesday Masses were standing room only in parishes across the country — with more than half of U.S. Catholics attending, nearly matching Easter numbers. And that’s on a day that’s not even a holy day of obligation. That’s not routine. That’s a spiritual hunger we haven’t seen in years.

• Adoration is going 24/7 — even in Manhattan. In July 2023, St. Joseph's in Greenwich Village launched the first perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel in New York City's most unlikely neighborhood. "The city that never sleeps needs a chapel that never closes," one friar told me.
  

These are the signs of renewal breaking through.

Why It Matters What We Call It

Maybe it's just a word. But words shape how we see. And this word — renaissance — carries with it a kind of joy and imagination we desperately need. It invites us to not only come home to our faith… but to build something beautiful within it.

I'm not saying we should change the name of the National Eucharistic Revival. It's doing exactly what it set out to do, light the match.

But maybe it's time we acknowledge what's catching fire.

Maybe that man in the crowd deserves a quiet nod from all of us.

Because the Church in America isn't just coming back to life.

She's creating again.

Participants in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage process across a freeway overpass in Orange, California, bearing the Blessed Sacrament beneath a canopy. The moment marked a powerful symbol of Christ’s presence bridging hearts, highways, and history as the procession made its way toward Christ Cathedral.

Sunlight and devotion illuminate the path as pilgrims journey together, bearing witness to the Real Presence at the Orange County Correctional Facility.

Incense drifts through the underpass of the I-5 freeway as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage makes its way toward Christ Cathedral—Christ present in the Eucharist passing beneath the concrete arteries of modern life.

In Balboa Park, San Diego, the faithful gathered under clear skies to celebrate the enduring Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The pilgrimage winds through Palm Desert, carried by clergy, lay faithful, and curious onlookers, each step a witness to belief in the Real Presence.

Religious Sisters kneel in reverent silence at the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Los Angeles.

The concluding Eucharistic procession passes outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels under a golden canopy as the western route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage comes to a close.

During the USCCB’s annual Spring Assembly, bishops and pilgrims gather for Mass inside Founders Chapel at the University of San Diego—an intimate moment of prayer and unity amid the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

A packed Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral welcomes pilgrims, families, and faithful for the closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s St. Katherine Drexel Route.

Pilgrims from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Camino de California walk together through the streets of Orange, CA, on their way to Christ Cathedral.

caption...An overhead view of the assembly of bishops during the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Spring General Assembly at the University of San Diego. Gathered in prayer and discernment, the bishops met to address the pastoral needs of the Church and to accompany the faithful during this pivotal moment in the National Eucharistic Revival.

Mass, Adoration and Benediction at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove marked a major milestone in the Camino de California route, drawing pilgrims from across Southern California.

Amid the red earth and sacred silence of the Southwest, Pilgrims process with the Blessed Sacrament during the pilgrimage’s passage through the Navajo Nation.

A father carries his weary child following a stretch of the Camino de California, part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The family joined hundreds of faithful walking in witness to the Real Presence across California’s highways and streets.

The Lord of Heaven and Earth is gently placed in the tabernacle of a van, ready to continue His journey across the nation. A humble vessel, a sacred mission—Grace in motion.

Author’s Note:
I want to extend my deepest thanks to Montse Alvarado and Shannon Mullen at EWTN and the National Catholic Register. Their belief in this mission and their unwavering support made it possible for me to walk this journey, to witness these moments, and to share them with you. I truly couldn’t have done it without them.

If you’ve found value in this story—please support EWTN and consider subscribing to the National Catholic Register. They are truly keeping the light on in Catholic journalism.

Thanks for reading! This is a reader-supported periodical. Your support is crucial. If you are able, please consider a paid subsciption or making a ‘Patron of the Arts’ donation of any amount. By doing so, you are not just supporting this effort; you’re a vital part of this mission.

You have my heartfelt thanks for your generosity and support and please keep me in your prayers, and know of mine for each of you. God Bless, Jeff