Parishes statewide celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with outdoor processions
"My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." (John 6:55-56)
Parishes throughout Maine celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 2, with outdoor processions through their communities. From Machias to Portland, hundreds took part in Eucharistic processions, during which the Blessed Sacrament is carried in a monstrance through the church and into the streets.
At St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Houlton, parishioners walked nearly two miles ending at St. Mary’s Church for a Benediction and reception. Following the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, the procession took place under beautiful sunshine throughout the city.
"What a glorious day! We walked from St. Mary's down Maine Street to Market Square then to Monument Park where we stopped and prayed for a few minutes at our first outdoor altar," Fr. Kevin J. Martin with St. Mary of the Visitation Parish said.
Eucharistic processions and celebrations also took place at Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville, Holy Family Parish in Greenville, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn, Parish of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Bar Harbor, Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, St. Jospeh Parish in Ellsworth, St. Joseph Parish in Farmington, St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Machias, St. Rose of Lima Parish in Jay, and Stella Maris Parish in Bucksport.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, is a celebration of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. On this day, we recall the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
In the United States, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, rather than on the Thursday.
While the Last Supper is also commemorated on Holy Thursday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ focuses solely on the gift of the Eucharist. The mood is also more joyous than that felt on Holy Thursday, the day before Christ's Passion and death.
