Catholics and Orthodox have the most personal relationship with Jesus through the consumption of the Eucharist. No other group can have that relationship.
does not require priest or others to intercede in order to make the “magic” happen.
Jesus passed on His authority to the Apostles and only them, they in turn passed it on to other worthy men. So yes it does require a priest.
Actually, genuine believers have Christ live in their hearts through faith, making them new creatures in Christ, not by eating Him.
That just goes in one end and out the other.
Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
2 Corinthians 5: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Matthew 15:16-17 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?
Anyone can "do this in remembrance of Him" and we do "communion/Lord's Supper". Making a claim of transubstantiation (where any priest can evoke the miracle/transformation at will) just supports having priests to look up to/depend on - that worked really well for those who followed the Pharisees, didn't it?
He and the Holy Spirit tasked the apostles with carrying the Word - they were not long-term "empowered" to be the only purveyors of the Gospel - else, they and their line (really convenient for dynastic-worshipers) would be the only ones who can carry the word. If you need active intervention by a priest to attain salvation, why do we need God? Jesus walked among us to make it a personal relationship. Baptism is a conscious and overt act to show that you believe - it isn't a magical "makes you holy" event. Communion is gathering in His name and remembering Him and what He did for us - it doesn't require a miracle - He stands without daily miracles. Priests cannot save us - He saved those who would believe in Him and invite Him into their hearts as Lord and savior. Anyone who depends on other men for their salvation might as well worship Baal.
Grace freed us from the rituals to try to demonstrate our worthiness. Those who wanted to continue some of the old practices like circumcision and eating Kosher foods to remain "pure" were chastised for falling from Grace. Religion puts more of these "prove you're good" activities requirements that He removed.
Many try to say the He said this or that (what He did say when telling folks how things were stayed in accordance with the law that all, even He lived under until His death/resurrection and did not follow us into the New Covenant. He came to fulfill the law by living under it without sinning and then being sacrificed so that we not pay the death penalty for our sins. Loving Him/God and each other became the new fulfillment of the commandments because where there is love, there is no harm and that is the essence of the intent of the original commandments.
You can depend on priests to insure your salvation - Jesus gave me a direct line to God without need for intercession by living mortals or dead mortals who have been awarded the posthumous title of "saint". Once we have been saved, we become 100% pure and worthy (despite or sinful natures) and saints in God's eyes. He told us that is how it would be and He didn't add the caveats that we had to follow/obey modern day pharisees in order to achieve it. Does "I will forgive their wickedness and recognize their sins no more" - ring a tune?
Which apostle passed authority on to James the brother of Jesus Christ to make him head of the Jerusalem church?