St. Mary Parish, Manchester at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - The Solemn Outdoor Corpus Christi Procession
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The Solemn Outdoor Corpus Christi Procession
At the conclusion of the 10:30 a.m. Mass, 14 June 2009 |
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On Sunday June 14th the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is a feast by which we offer our gratitude to almighty God for the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist.
It is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church on Corpus Christi to participate in a solemn procession by which the Holy Eucharist is taken out of the church and brought into the local town. This procession is meant to be a public witness of our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ contained in the Most Holy Eucharist.
The Corpus Christi procession will take place at the conclusion of the 10:30 am Mass on June 14th. We will process with the Most Blessed Sacrament around the Village Green located in front of the church.
We will stop at four altars, each facing one of the four corners of the world. At each altar we will adore the Most Blessed Sacrament, we will sing a Eucharistic hymn, we will hear a proclamation from one of the four Gospels, and we will receive a blessing with the Sacrament.
After leaving the final altar, which faces west, we will re-enter the church for the conclusion of the Corpus Christi procession. All will take their places kneeling as we conclude with solemn Benediction, the recitation of the Divine Praises, and the great Trinitarian hymn “Holy God, we Praise They Name”.
This is the first time in my seven years as pastor of St. Mary Church that we have attempted to have this solemn outdoor procession. I have a few requests from the good people of St. Mary Church. Please pray for good weather! If it rains on that Sunday or if it is too windy, the procession will not be able to take place.
My second request is for as many parishioners as possible to attend the 10:30 am Mass and participate in the solemn procession.
Once again the Corpus Christi procession will be a witness to the Village of Manchester of our belief in the Real Presence and of our love for the risen Christ who is mysteriously contained in this most august sacrament and who lies hidden behind the sacramental veil.
“Down in adoration falling,
Lo! The sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o’er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevailing;
Faith for all defects supplying
Where the feeble senses fail.”
—Fr. Tim