By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

Corpus Christi feast is time to reflect on the Eucharistaithful from around the Diocese of Trenton brought their belief in the Eucharist to the streets the weekend of June 22-23 as they participated in processions for the Feast of Corpus Christi. Celebrations to commemorate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ included processions with the Blessed Sacrament, Adoration and Benediction taking place in parishes throughout the Diocese and the world.

Photo Gallery: Corpus Christi Celebration in St. James, Pennington

For parishioners from the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley’s three parishes, St. James, Pennington; St. George Parish, Titusville, and St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell, observing the solemnity began June 22 with the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass in St. James Church followed by the opportunity to publicly express their devotion to the Eucharist during a procession that traveled around the parish grounds and surrounding neighborhood streets, East Delaware and Eglantine Avenues.

“It’s a great celebration of Jesus’ presence to us in the Eucharist and it’s the last of the feast days before we close out the major feast day celebrations during the early summer. It’s great to honor Jesus the way we do,” said Msgr. Michael J. Walsh, pastor. “We celebrate the Eucharist all the time, but it’s important to have a weekend like this and place extra accent on the presence of Jesus to us in the Eucharist.”

Joann Held, the liturgy coordinator in St. James Parish, said the tradition to hold a procession for the solemnity began about five years ago “and we hope it becomes a solid tradition.”

Held reflected on what it means to have the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of a consecrated host that is placed in the monstrance and carried in procession. “When I look at the people participating in the procession and see how visibly touched they are by sharing their faith and being a visible sign of their faith in the neighborhood, it’s worth having the procession.”

One way to help convey the meaning of the procession to parishioners is by getting many people involved in different ways, Held said, then noted that different groups are charged with carrying banners and candles, some ring bells, and, in some years, children carry flowers.

“Everyone is sharing their gift, their way of taking part in the procession and those parts really add up to something much, much greater,” she said.

Msgr. Walsh and Deacon Dick Currie spoke of how the procession provides an opportunity to evangelize about the Catholic faith and how the impact of the Lord’s presence on the neighborhood can be felt throughout the procession.

“We are a Eucharistic people and the center of our faith is the Eucharist,” said Deacon Currie. “We are not just in ourselves; we are in the community and it helps us to share who we are in the community, to publicly proclaim our faith by having a procession.”

Msgr. Walsh noted that processions are a very ancient expression of Church life “and we thought it was significant to use it in a way for us to journey a little through the town and getting people to ask ‘What are those Catholics doing and why are they doing it?’”

Msgr. Walsh said he finds the neighbors to be very respectful during the procession. Similarly, when cars pass by and passengers notice the monstrance and identify what is taking place “they are called to an expression of faith themselves,” Msgr. Walsh said. “I find that to be a very good witness on our part.”

Msgr. Walsh said it’s his plan to uphold the tradition of the Corpus Christi procession “and the excitement that it brings into our lives about the Eucharist that is the central nature of our faith.”

Audio interviews conducted by Monitor freelance photographer John Batkowski contributed to this story.