Iris Purchase beamed with joy as she took part in a Corpus Christi procession at Epiphany Cathedral on June 21, 2025, the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
“The Lord’s Presence in the Blessed Sacrament brings me great comfort,” Purchase said. “I feel so happy to be able to honor Jesus in this special way, and I pray I will continue to carry out His call for me in my life.”
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) is a celebration of the Eucharist and the Real Presence of Our Lord which is a tradition that dates back centuries and is often marked by a Eucharistic Procession, a “public witness of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament.”
Instituted in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, Corpus Christi is an important affirmation of our belief that Our Lord is truly sacramentally present in the form of bread and wine. When Our Lord instituted the Eucharist, He said “this IS My Body and this IS My Blood;” not this represents or is symbolic of my body and blood. The Sacrament was defined as “an outward sign” of inward grace given to us by Jesus Christ for our sanctification and salvation.
During the celebration of the 4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass at Epiphany Cathedral, Msgr. Patrick Dubois, Rector of Epiphany Cathedral, spoke about the Solemnity and the corresponding Eucharistic Procession which was taking place in Parishes, cities, towns and villages throughout the world.
“The Body of Christ is honored, not just in churches, but with wonderful processions, outside in the streets decorated with beautiful symbols and banners to celebrate our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus. A presence that is total in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.”
The Corpus Christi procession in Venice began with Msgr. Dubois placing a consecrated host in the monstrance (a sacred vessel that displays the sacred host to the faithful). After a series of prayers before the Most Holy Eucharist the procession, led by altar servers carrying candles and an incensor, began.
Msgr. Dubois carried the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament, proceeding out of the church under a canopy, to three temporary altars set up in the parking lot of the Cathedral. Participating in the procession were Bishop Frank J. Dewane, priests and deacons of the Cathedral, musicians and members of the choir, as well as hundreds of the faithful.
The canopy serves a dual purpose. The canopy protects the Blessed Sacrament against anything that might fall on it, including rain, creating a sacred space that is reserved for the priest carrying the monstrance. Secondarily, the faithful in the large crowd can locate the Blessed Sacrament at the head of the procession more easily.
At each stop, the monstrance was placed on the temporary altar as a series of Gospel passages were read, and prayers recited. The procession concluded with Benediction in the Santa Maria Chapel as thunderstorms loomed overhead. The faithful were encouraged to remain in the Chapel for Adoration.
Pope Leo XIV explained the spiritual and missionary meaning of the Eucharistic Procession prior to beginning his own Procession in Rome.
“Together, as shepherds and flock, we will feed on the Blessed Sacrament, adore Him, and carry Him through the streets,” the Holy Father said. “In doing so, we will present Him before the eyes, the consciences, and the hearts of the people.”
Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to “share the bread” – a sign of the gift of divine salvation – to “multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom” as he presided for the first time as Pope over Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
On the Solemnity when the Catholic Church celebrates especially the mystery of the Eucharist Pope Leo declared: “Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because His body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!”
The Holy Father traveled to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, his Cathedral as Bishop of Rome, to celebrate the Mass, which was followed by a Eucharistic Procession along the city’s streets to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is observed two weeks after Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost, which took place on June 8 this year, is celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday, and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
In addition, the 2025 Solemnity marks the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year movement initiated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to encourage the faithful to answer the call of Jesus Christ to return to the source and summit of Our Faith – the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.
Bishop Dewane advised that the conclusion of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival not be seen as an ending, but a beginning.
“Let us go forth and share the Mystery of the Eucharist with the world,” Bishop Dewane said. “The time is now for us all to be Eucharistic Missionaries, sharing the good news of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ with everyone you know! Non-believers, lapsed Catholics, those on the margins. Bring the saving grace of Christ to the world around you!”