The Diocese of St. Cloud is encouraging the faithful to participate in a novena leading up to the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and the National Eucharistic Revival.

The novena started Friday.

“Pray the Corpus Christi Novena from today, June 10, through June 18 — the Saturday before the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and the day of our diocesan kickoff of the National Eucharistic Revival (1 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral),” the diocese posted on Facebook Friday. It then provided a prayer for the first day of the nine-day prayer program.

Catholics across the country are called to participate in a novena June 10-18 to prepare for the kickoff of the National Eucharistic Revival, EucharisticRevival.org said. The Eucharistic Revival "is a grassroots movement of Catholics, each responding to the gift of the Eucharist in their own way." 

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the Body of Christ, is a celebration of Thanksgiving for the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, a report on OfficeHolidays.com said. The feast day became popularized in the 13th century. It is traditionally celebrated with a Eucharistic procession, during which a priest carries the Eucharist in a monstrance and walks through the streets. 

“Novena” comes from the Latin word for “nine” and refers to saying a novena prayer for nine consecutive days, a report on BlessedIsShe.net said. The number nine could signify the nine months that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, or it could refer to when the Apostles and Mary prayed for the nine days between Jesus’s Ascension into Heaven and Pentecost.