ASCEND Eucharistic Revival Draws One of the Largest Gatherings of Pacific Northwest Catholics in Decades
Organizers said the revival aimed to renew belief in the Real Presence, and an estimated 3,000 Catholics received Communion.
- On Saturday, May 16, 2026, an estimated 3,000 Catholics gathered at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash., for the ASCEND Eucharistic Revival, a regional conference focused on deepening belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
- Inspired by the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, the movement seeks to renew devotion to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist through prayer and teaching, aiming to foster unity across the Pacific Northwest.
- Archbishop of Seattle Paul Etienne celebrated the Holy Mass and delivered a homily, while the day's programming featured faith formation talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and an outdoor Eucharistic procession through downtown Bellevue.
- A team of more than 200 volunteers executed the gathering, supported by keynote speakers Chris Stefanick and Dr. Tim Gray, alongside performances by vocal group Floriani and singer-songwriter Marie Miller.
- Ecclesiastical Advisor Father Nicholas Wichert acknowledged nearly two years of preparation as organizers hope ASCEND serves as the beginning of an ongoing Eucharistic renewal across the Pacific Northwest.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Ascend Eucharistic Revival draws 3,000 Pacific Northwest Catholics of all ages, ethnicities
BELLEVUE, Wash. (OSV News) -- More than 3,000 local Catholics joined together in prayer led by Father Nicholas Wichert at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue May 16. The Ascend Eucharistic Revival was one of the largest gatherings of Catholics in the Pacific Northwest in over a century, according to event organizers. Those in attendance ranged from
‘Church’s mission flows from the Eucharist’: Homily from Ascend Eucharistic Revival
Below is Archbishop Etienne’s homily for the Ascension Vigil Mass celebrated Mary 16, 2026, at the Ascend Eucharistic Revival in Bellevue.Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather on this vigil of the Ascension, I am reminded of a text from St. Augustine who taught that Christ “did not leave heaven when he came down to us; nor did he withdraw from us when he ascended.”We believe that Christ indeed is not absent. He is present in a new and dee…
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