Deeper understanding of the Holy Eucharist: A strategy to strengthen faith among Catholics in Kalungu Parish-Masaka Diocese

Abstract

The researcher was motivated to embark on this study to find out whether Catholics in Kalungu Parish have a deeper understanding of the Holy Eucharist. This was achieved by three main specific objectives; to find out the attitude of Catholics towards the Holy Eucharist, show how the deeper understanding of the Eucharist strengthens the faith of Catholics and then investigate the possible ways of promoting a deeper understanding of the Holy Eucharist among Catholics in Kalungu Parish. The researcher’s interest in this project was geared by the current disorientations exhibited among Catholics today in Kalungu Parish and in Uganda at large towards the Holy Eucharist like low numbers of those attending Holy Mass, talking on phone and taking pictures while Mass is going on, receiving Communion without adequate preparation, few numbers of those turning up for Eucharistic adoration and among others. This eventually clearly depicts a situation of lack of a deeper understanding of this reality and thereby weakening in their faith. This condition at hand compelled him to find out the root cause of all this and how best it can be addressed in order to better strengthen their faith through having a deeper understanding of this great treasure of the Church; the mystery of the Eucharist. The study intends to contribute to the theory and practice by establishing the hypothesis that deeper understanding of the Holy Eucharist strengthens faith among Christians. The research was conducted in fourteen (14) sub-parishes that make up Kalungu Parish. Group discussions, Observation, questionnaires and interviews were applied as methods of data collection from the respondents. A total number of one hundred (100) respondents were consulted among whom fifty (50) were given questionnaires and the remaining fifty (50) of them interviewed by the researcher either as a group or individually. The data was carefully and systematically analyzed. Research findings showed that 50% of the Catholics do not have a deeper understanding of the Eucharist and 20% have a negative attitude towards the Holy Eucharist. The researcher thus recommended creation of Eucharistic centers in Sub Parishes, organization of Eucharistic congresses and formation of the faithful, control of abuses against the holy Eucharist, deeper catechesis or a renewed catechetical approach and lastly empowerment of families and promotion of the celebration of the Eucharist in all Christian homes to be employed so as to address this fact of lacking a deeper understanding of the Holy Eucharist.