A Celebration We'll Never Forget: Our Parish's First Corpus Christi Procession

+ JMJ +

Last Sunday, our parish held its first Corpus Christi procession after the 12:15 pm Mass for the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  It was a beautiful and solemn procession, in which Muddee, our youngest son, assisted as one of the many altar boys.  After the first stop for adoration and prayers in the church garden,our Pastor proceeded to carry the Blessed Sacrament around the church block when thunder and lightning began to appear and rain came pelting down almost in torrents.

Father still proceeded to walk calmly around the block under the canopy carried by 4 altar servers, with the retinue of assisting altar boys, the Knights of Columbus and the throng of parishioners following close behind.  Then suddenly, a gust of wind blew off the canopy, and the rain came down even stronger.

One of the older altar boys was able to retrieve the canopy from the street, while an elderly lady lent her big umbrella to the Knights so that Father and Our Lord would not get wet.  We, however, were already soaked, and halfway around the block, we saw a few of the Knights heading back to the Church.  So half of us, with the children and elderly, decided to follow suit.

Father, our parochial vicar, the altar servers, the rest of the Knights and about half of the crowd solemnly completed the procession around the block, while the rest of us waited for them at the narthex.  By the time they returned to the main entrance, the rain had stopped.  Everyone was wet, but joyful.  We did not let the sudden downpour dampen our celebration of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

It was a wonderful sight, seeing everyone with dishevelled hair with smiles on their faces. We then entered the church where Father gave us Benediction.  He thanked all of us afterwards and marvelled at our testimony of faith.  He said he was certain it was a celebration we'd never forget.  We sure won't, Father!