Corpus Christi Procession

On Sunday was the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or "Corpus Christi" as it's traditionally called.

Being that Corpus Christi is one of my favorite feast days of the year, it should come as no surprise that I basically spent the whole day at various churches and processions. :) I began the morning by popping over to the parish I work at, for the morning Eucharistic Procession led by our little First Communicants - totally angelic and charming! Note to self though, next year I'm going to give them rose petals to drop before our Lord and perhaps figure out if we can get a kneeler or two out at the Benediction altar.

Then, I buzzed over to Holy Family parish for their 11am Mass, which was splendidly celebrated by Fr. Dufner (natch) accompanied by their beautiful choir, organ and brass singing and playing joyously to the Lord all those marvelous Eucharistic hymns and motets. We had everything from Alleluia Sing to Jesus to Ave Verum Corpus to At That First Eucharist to O Sacrum Convivium to the very beautiful Gonoud's Ave Maria. At the end of Mass there was a massive Eucharistic procession throughout the neighborhood, which I would have loved to have joined in on (and hearing the brass and choir as they processed along too made it even more tempting) but I had to be off to my next stop for the day - the Eleventh Annual Archdiocesan Corpus Christi Procession in downtown Minneapolis!

I've been processing with the Archdiocesan procession ever since I moved to the Cities and came back to the Church - in fact, I just realized that the year that all happened Corpus Christi fell on my birthday, that was quite the present to recieve our Lord knowingly for one of the very first times and to also celebrate the feast day of His Eucharist for the first time! :)

This year's big Procession was in downtown Minneapolis (it rotates between St. Paul in Minneapolis every other year), and was pretty well attended by representatives from all aspects of Holy Mother Church - priests, seminarians, religious, laity, and of course, unknowing onlookers blessed to be in the Real Presence of God for a brief moment. The route this year was a little different from years past, shorter and a little less public. However, being that it was so hot out, that may have been for the best. In any case, winding our way through Loring Park (which needs Him...) and concluding at the beautiful Basilica of St. Mary with a Vespers service and Benediction. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious ice cream sundae on the lawn of the Basilica, and then a few of us went out to everyone's favorite restaurant, Buca's, for a feast day dinner! Whew! I'm still exhausted! :)

Archdiocesan Corpus Christi Procession

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!