A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist as the Sacrament of Unity
Most Reverend Robert G. Casey
Archbishop of Cincinnati
A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist as the Sacrament of Unity
Most Reverend Robert G. Casey
Archbishop of Cincinnati
September 17, 2026
Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine
1.
“That they all may be one” (Jn 17:21). As Jesus prepared for his own death, he offered his priestly prayer to the Father in these words, longing for greater unity among all the children of God. Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has called the Church today to greater unity as the Body of Christ. Since the earliest days of the Church, from Jesus Christ himself, echoed by St. Paul and the Church Fathers, and affirmed by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, we have believed that the Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity 1 1 Cor 10:15-17; Sacrosanctum Concilium 26; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1396 . In the Eucharistic liturgy (Mass), we both give evidence to and grow in unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. In the words of Eucharistic Prayer III, which we often pray together at Mass, we are called to truly become “one body, one spirit in Christ.”
2.
As a bishop, among my most important roles is to be a point of unity in our local Church, ever in communion with my brother bishops—the successors to the Apostles—and our Holy Father as our visible head 2 Lumen Gentium, 23 . Thus, as Archbishop of Cincinnati, my task is to bring greater unity to our archdiocese, calling all of us to greater fidelity to Jesus Christ and to our life as Catholic Christians. This letter is an attempt to offer my reflections and hopes for the liturgical life of our archdiocese, so that all may experience greater communion with God and one another, through the grace of the risen Christ truly present when we gather for the Eucharist.
3.
Unity in our liturgical celebrations by faithfulness to the Church’s liturgical law and norms is one way in which we share in our common life together. The Church’s ancient maxim lex orandi, lex credendi reminds us that as we believe, so shall we pray. While resisting the temptation towards mere uniformity where legitimate options exist, unity is achieved through our faithful ars celebrandi (the art of celebrating) in liturgical celebrations. Use of approved liturgical texts and fidelity to the rubrics given to us by the Church is essential to maintain authentic unity in the Body of Christ gathered for worship, while, at the same time, honoring the many cultures, races, and tongues which make up our Church.
4.
“Communion” implies that we are brought together to do something in common, not just individuals gathered to do the same thing at the same time. In the midst of our modern world, Christians are continuously called to come together, to value community, to be one; the mystery of the Incarnation demands more than just virtual “presence” on a screen. Gathered at the altar, the Eucharistic celebration is the primary way the Church comes together so that she may be sent forth to manifest God’s love to the world.
5.
The celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays, is “the source and summit of the Christian life” 3 Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324 ; thus, I echo the voices of bishops down through the ages, calling for the Eucharist to be the priority of every parish community, and therefore worth our continuing reflection, effort, and participation.