Florida Catholic | Corpus Christi Procession A Public Display Of Faith, Diversity

Corpus Christi procession a display of faith, diversity

TANYA GOODMAN | FLORIDA CATHOLIC ORLANDO BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 05.08.08

Mass will begin 6 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. James, 215 N. Orange Ave., downtown Orlando. Gathering for the eucharistic procession to Lake Eola Park will begin at 7 p.m. outside the cathedral.

ORLANDO | For many believers, the celebration of the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, is one of the most important days in the Catholic Church. It is the celebration of the institution of the Eucharist.

At the Corpus Christi celebration at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome in June 2004, Pope John Paul II spoke of the importance of the procession in the public profession of faith. He said that people not only “celebrate the Eucharist, but solemnly bear it in procession, publicly proclaiming that the sacrifice of Christ is for the salvation of the whole world.”

The local procession is a showcase of faith and multicultural diversity that is the Diocese of Orlando. Some local Catholics with roots in Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia participate in the annual Mass and procession wearing attire traditional to those cultures. Following Mass, Catholics process from the Cathedral of St. James in Orlando to nearby Lake Eola Park, singing praise and worship in the languages of their ancestors.

Bishop Thomas Wenski remarked at last year’s celebration, “It is the Eucharist that brings us together, one body in Christ.”

Hundreds are expected to join Bishop Wenski at the May 25 Mass at the cathedral, and even more are expected to join the procession to Lake Eola Park, ending at the amphitheater for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

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Corpus Christi procession a display of faith, diversity

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