In this year of Eucharistic Revival, millions have witnessed the Blessed Sacrament being carried out into the streets; touring cities, traversing small blocks, allowing the faithful to stop and pause in their busy day and genuflect in front of the Real Presence of Christ.
And during these hot summer months in a hamlet of New York’s Long Island, thousands are flocking to the shore every Sunday where another revival is taking place.
And this movement spans more than a decade.
“This is our 11th year of the Beach Mass in Long Beach,” Jordan Bernhardi told the Register. As director of operations of the aptly named “Beach Catholic,” a tri-parish community made up of St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Mary of the Isle, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal parishes, the idea developed organically.
“The idea was a bit of a grassroots one, borne out of a group of parishioners along with the pastor brainstorming on evangelization opportunities possible with our unique beach setting.”
Bernhardi has been working with Beach Catholic for the last 8 years, where Catholic faithful come to the beach for Mass every Sunday in the summer, under the leadership of pastor Father Brian Barr.
And Bernhardi admits: “It was the Beach Mass that drew me into the life of this parish.”
The idea of Mass at the beach may seem off-putting to some since flip-flops on Sundays can become a sticking point for many Catholics, but the local bishop is very well aware of the outdoor Masses and as Father Barr told the Register, maintaining reverence is of serious concern.
“The beach is casual. It was important that the sanctity of the Sacrament be maintained despite the casual setting. I think we managed to do that.”
Several of the items used during the Mass hold a special significance to the parishioners. The altar, ambo, and processional cross were all made by a carpenter who is a member of the parish, all constructed using the destroyed remains of the beach boardwalk, all left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy that obliterated much of the area in 2012.
And parishioners who attend Sunday summer Masses at the shore say surf, sand and sun buoy their spirits.
“In the same way that great paintings or statues or stained glass in a church help us reflect on the beauty of God, getting to experience the Mass as the sun is setting over the seemingly endless ocean is such a great way to be reminded of the never-ending love and goodness of God,” parishioner Ryan Bonomi told the Register.
“I think it’s so powerful to be able to pray and meditate on the readings as you are sitting in the sand and gazing out into the ocean. I love getting to see and be reminded of the beauty of God and creation as we all celebrate the Mass together.”
And judging by the scores that stream onto the sand for Sunday Mass, locals and tourists alike are happy to have this unique opportunity. Two weeks ago, more than 1,200 people attended the Sunday evening Mass; and just this past weekend, the number jumped to 1,300 faithful.
Between those numbers and the setting, maintaining reverence and focus is a challenge, Father Barr said, underscoring, “But, with a great team, it happens.”
The public display of faith is also an opportunity to evangelize, as Bernhardi has witnessed. Over the past 10 summers, “we estimate that over 50,000 people have come down to the Beach Mass. That’s not nothing. We’ve heard stories, received notes, and built relationships with Catholics who might have fallen away or who’ve been absent from their faith for a while, and they happened to have heard about the beach Mass, or they were riding down the boardwalk on their bike, and they stopped. And they’ve been changed since.”
New inspiration comes from Pope Leo XIV, Bernhardi added. If this is indeed the “hour for love,” as the Holy Father has stated, the Long Islander explained, “We are called, right now, to be a missionary church; to not just receive the sacraments ourselves, but to go out into the public and share the truth of Christ with all of his people. We believe that the beach Mass is bringing that call to reality.”
“People will often speak of the public nature of the beach Mass,” Father Barr added. “Obviously, most often, we celebrate the Eucharist in a church. Bringing the Sacrament to the streets creates, I think, an added dimension. Most of us aren’t used to public prayer beyond the confines of the church walls. It doesn’t get much more public than Mass on the beach. I think that both inspires and challenges us in important ways.”
Father Steven McClernon, associate pastor of Beach Catholic, has been “humbled” by the powerful witness every Sunday evening at the beach Mass. Calling it the “New Evangelization in action,” Father McClernon says this liturgy is following ancient tradition:
“Jesus called his first disciples on the seashore, and to this day, on the seashore, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament continues to call his disciples.”
Gerri Maquet, director of religious education and a parishioner of Beach Catholic since this idea was just “being kicked around,” says “Summer Sundays” are a blessing, as the Mass “just fills my heart with complete joy. … Receiving the Eucharist surrounded by all the elements God created … is a true blessing in my life.”
And the practice is keeping the faithful bolstered in the sacraments, Reina Komisarjevsky told the Register:
“With spirits rising, musicians playing, sitting on our beach chairs in the sand, watching people smile, listening to the liturgy of God’s blessings and taking Communion … we are so blessed. The peace that you feel is something that you can’t get anywhere else. It is a moving experience and one to be treasured.”
And the setting not only inspires those in the beach-chair pews, but the celebrant.
“Having 800 or 900 people kneeling in the sand during the Eucharistic Prayer is beyond inspiring and, I believe, a great witness to what is most important to us,” Father Barr reflected.
“Each summer, I regularly receive notes or emails where someone describes riding their bike or going for a stroll on the boardwalk and they discover the Mass. They’ll stop and then stay. And then come back. What’s better than that? The Irish poet James Joyce describes the universal nature of the Catholic Church as ‘Here comes everybody.’ With the whole public nature of the beach Mass, that’s really become our theme: Here comes everybody.”
Married couple Dan and Bernadette White attend Beach Catholic Masses, and they are awestruck at how the community comes together.
“Watching the waves of people make their way down the boardwalk, then the ramp and onto the beach is such a special thing to see. And as it nears closer to the start of Mass, the numbers swell, and it’s truly an inspiring feeling to watch the Beach Catholic and greater Long Island Catholic community have such a presence on the beach,” Dan said.
And the serenity of the beach helps Bernadette ready herself for Mass.
“Life is hectic, and oftentimes during Mass, we can all be guilty of our minds drifting towards other obligations besides our faith. The beach setting truly calms the mind and body and makes the ability to stay in the present easy and enhances the entire Mass experience.”
With adoration planned a bit later in the summer, Father Barr hopes more faithful will find themselves at his seashore on Sunday evenings.
“For many people, the beach Mass is sort of a perfect storm of things they love: faith, community and environment. When it all comes together, it’s impossible to deny God’s presence.”
About Beach Catholic:
Beach Catholic is a tri-parish community on Long Island, New York, made up of St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Mary of the Isle, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal parishes. For more information about Beach Catholic, please visit BeachCatholic.com.