By Michele Jurich
Staff Writer

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more than 200 people attended Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, archbishop-designate of San Francisco, for the members of the Confraternity of Eucharistic Devotion Diocese of Oakland.

	See "The True Presence in the Diocese of Oakland" www.oakdiocese.org/ministries/ worship/eucharistic-devotion

The organization was founded by the third bishop of Oakland, the most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron, now the archbishop of Detroit, to deepen in the Diocese of Oakland, in its members and the members of this Confraternity, reverence and love for the Holy Eucharist.

Such reverence is manifested in Eucharistic devotions in parishes, with Eucharistic processions, Forty Hours Devotion and exposition of the Holy Eucharist. More than 50 parishes offer at least one hour of Eucharistic Devotion a month, and perpetual adoration is offered at three sites: Holy Spirit Church in Fremont, the Divine Mercy Chapel next door to St. John the Baptist Church in El Cerrito and St. Agnes Church in Concord.

Among the confraternity members at the Sept. 8 Mass was Elizabeth Ezekwem, a member of St. Michael Parish in Livermore. She attends the Friday adoration at her parish. She said she likes to arrive for its last hours, after she finishes her workday, to pray the rosary and for benediction, which ends the 12 hours of adoration.

After the Mass, Father Vincent Serpa, OP, spoke about the Eucharist. In the event center afterward, the film "Christ Among Us — His True Presence in the Diocese of Oakland" was premiered.

In the film, priests and members of the laity of the Diocese of Oakland talk about Eucharistic Devotion, and the graces received.
"The next step is to get it to the parishes and beyond," said Valerie Burkart, who
produced the film. "It is very, very important that a person hand-deliver this to a key person in each parish, and tell them what it is."

The hope is that the film will be shown in schools, parish meetings and classes, to spread the word about Eucharistic Devotion. Burkart said her husband, John, who teaches a confirmation class at their parish, St. Margaret Mary, plans to show the film to his students.

"The DVD is not to be sold," Burkart said. "It is to be given to whoever wants it."

The film is available online at www.oakdiocese.org/ministries/worship/eucharistic-devotion.

"I think the DVD has tremendous potential to increase devotion to the Blessed Sacrament throughout the diocese," said Rev. Lawrence D'Anjou, parochial administrator of St. Raymond Parish in Dublin, who also serves as chaplain to the confraternity.

Making the film available as a DVD and online "brings it to the many people who haven't had the opportunity to know about it."

For those who have not experienced Eucharistic Devotion, and may not know what to do, Father D'Anjou offers some comforting words:

"There's not much you have to do. Show love. And be," he said. "The Lord is inviting us. Be in his presence and experience that peace."

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