Father Richard Conlin is a Catholic priest in the diocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is a former professional golfer and accountant. As the Catholic Church kicked off a campaign for the next three years to educate the faithful on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, I asked Father to share his thoughts on the Eucharist.

A Life of Worldly Success

Father initially spoke of his time in college as a professional athlete. He was living a fast, not particularly virtuous life, yet from a materialistic standpoint, he had everything he needed and wanted. Questions began to arise in his heart when his terminally ill mother asked him to go to Confession for her birthday. He said that he was the last person that one would think would become a priest, yet God works in His own mysterious and wondrous ways.

The Draw of the Eucharist

After Confession, Father went to Mass and received Holy Communion. Interiorly, he sensed that this was more than a piece of bread. In an intimate episode with the Lord, his heart was set on fire. He began sobbing, realizing that his life needed a new direction.

A Life Transformed

His faith began to grow through daily Mass and frequent reconciliation, and he decided to give his entire life to Jesus and help others get to heaven. Today, there is nothing he would rather be than a priest.

A Word of Reflection

Father said that belief in the Eucharist is in some ways a shocking belief and difficult to intuit. That’s why we must try to maintain focus during Mass on the Eucharist, and not the sermon or the singing. There is a deep relationship between confession and the Eucharist, and love of one leads to love of the other.

Follow Father

Father has a blog at www.prodigalcatholic.com and a website where he has sermons and reviews Catholic books at YouTube.com/c/FrRichardConlin.