Transformed in the Eucharist
Bishop celebrates Feast of Corpus Christi with Willingboro parish community
June 27, 2025 at 4:09 p.m.
Bishop O'Connell and Father Testa pose for a photo with parish staff and parishioners of Corpus Christi during the feast day celebratory dinner that followed the Mass.
UPDATED 6-27-2025
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ “invites us to reflect on the great mystery of the Eucharist … and the profound gift that Jesus has given us: his very self, offered in the form of bread and wine, so that we may be nourished, strengthened and united in him.”
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., shared those words with the faithful gathered in Corpus Christi Church, Willingboro, June 21, for a Mass commemorating the parish’s patronal feast.
PHOTO GALLERY: Feast of Corpus Christi celebrated in Willingboro parish
PHOTO GALLERY: Feast of Corpus Christi in Willingboro reception
“Every time we gather for Mass, we participate in this sacred mystery,” said Bishop O’Connell. “We do not merely remember Christ – we encounter him.”
Father John Testa, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, concelebrated. Following the Mass, the Bishop joined the community for a feast day celebration in the parish hall that included dinner, music, dancing and sharing fellowship.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel story, Bishop O’Connell recounted the great miracle Jesus performed with five loaves and two fishes to feed the large crowd that had gathered around him.
“He took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the people,” the Bishop said. “And all were satisfied. This moment foreshadows the Eucharist, where Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to us, not just to satisfy our physical hunger, but to nourish our souls,” the Bishop said.
Bishop O'Connell greets Ellen and Bill Kearns during the reception that followed the Feast Day Mass.However, the Bishop noted that just as Jesus had told his disciples, “‘Give them something to eat yourselves,’ he tells us the same today.”
“The Eucharist is not meant to be kept to ourselves, it is meant to transform us, to send us forth to feed the hungry, to care for the poor, to be his hands and feet in the world,” Bishop O’Connell said. “As we approach the altar today, let us do so with hearts full of gratitude. Let us recognize the immense gift we receive and allow it to change us. May the Body and Blood of Christ strengthen us to be his presence in the world, sharing his love with all who hunger for him.”
Parishioner Gaytana Balestrieri sees the solemnity as a day for all Catholics to profess their faith that Jesus truly “gave us his Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine.”
Germaine Brown, another parishioner, said, “The day guides us in remembering that the Eucharist is the center of the Catholic faith,” she said.
“I see the . . . Feast of Corpus Christi as a time to reconfirm my faith and understanding that the Eucharist is and will always be the center of my life. I know that the Eucharist guides me and reminds me that Jesus is always with me,” Brown said.
She added, with a note of gratitude, that attending a parish that bears the name Corpus Christi is “a constant reminder of the Eucharist’s presence in our lives.”
Choir members lead the congregation in song during the Feast Day Mass. Ron Maniglia photo
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Bishop O'Connell and Father Testa pose for a photo with parish staff and parishioners of Corpus Christi during the feast day celebratory dinner that followed the Mass.
UPDATED 6-27-2025
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ “invites us to reflect on the great mystery of the Eucharist … and the profound gift that Jesus has given us: his very self, offered in the form of bread and wine, so that we may be nourished, strengthened and united in him.”
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., shared those words with the faithful gathered in Corpus Christi Church, Willingboro, June 21, for a Mass commemorating the parish’s patronal feast.
PHOTO GALLERY: Feast of Corpus Christi celebrated in Willingboro parish
PHOTO GALLERY: Feast of Corpus Christi in Willingboro reception
“Every time we gather for Mass, we participate in this sacred mystery,” said Bishop O’Connell. “We do not merely remember Christ – we encounter him.”
Father John Testa, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, concelebrated. Following the Mass, the Bishop joined the community for a feast day celebration in the parish hall that included dinner, music, dancing and sharing fellowship.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel story, Bishop O’Connell recounted the great miracle Jesus performed with five loaves and two fishes to feed the large crowd that had gathered around him.
“He took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the people,” the Bishop said. “And all were satisfied. This moment foreshadows the Eucharist, where Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to us, not just to satisfy our physical hunger, but to nourish our souls,” the Bishop said.
Bishop O'Connell greets Ellen and Bill Kearns during the reception that followed the Feast Day Mass.However, the Bishop noted that just as Jesus had told his disciples, “‘Give them something to eat yourselves,’ he tells us the same today.”
“The Eucharist is not meant to be kept to ourselves, it is meant to transform us, to send us forth to feed the hungry, to care for the poor, to be his hands and feet in the world,” Bishop O’Connell said. “As we approach the altar today, let us do so with hearts full of gratitude. Let us recognize the immense gift we receive and allow it to change us. May the Body and Blood of Christ strengthen us to be his presence in the world, sharing his love with all who hunger for him.”
Parishioner Gaytana Balestrieri sees the solemnity as a day for all Catholics to profess their faith that Jesus truly “gave us his Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine.”
Germaine Brown, another parishioner, said, “The day guides us in remembering that the Eucharist is the center of the Catholic faith,” she said.
“I see the . . . Feast of Corpus Christi as a time to reconfirm my faith and understanding that the Eucharist is and will always be the center of my life. I know that the Eucharist guides me and reminds me that Jesus is always with me,” Brown said.
She added, with a note of gratitude, that attending a parish that bears the name Corpus Christi is “a constant reminder of the Eucharist’s presence in our lives.”
Choir members lead the congregation in song during the Feast Day Mass. Ron Maniglia photo