JOIN BISHOP CHAD ZIELINSKI and Christian faithful from throughout the Diocese of New Ulm on Sunday, June 11, 2023, the Feast of Corpus Christi, in a family-friendly Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession.
The Procession will begin from the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 1421 6th Street North (overlooking the New Ulm Medical Center). BRING A FOOD SHELF ITEM FOR THE AREA FOOD SHELF!
3:00 p.m. - Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offered at the Pastoral Center chapel.
4:00 p.m. - Those gathered will process publicly as a group to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm for a blessing and Benediction.
END YOUR DAY with a barbecue in Washington Park (across from the Cathedral) In case of inclement weather, visit the Diocese of New Ulm website, www.dnu.org.
Shuttle Available - Parking will be available in the parking lot of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Participants may choose to walk to the Diocesan Pastoral Center (one mile up a large hill), or take a shuttle from the Cathedral, available from 3-3:45 p.m.
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A consecrated host – the real and substantial presence of Jesus Christ: body, blood, soul, and divinity – is placed within a monstrance, which is then lifted and carried by the bishop or a priest who leads the faithful in procession. Like a pilgrimage, a Eucharistic procession typically starts at one holy place and ends at another. The procession serves as a reminder to the Catholic faithful of their spiritual journey toward eternal life with God.
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As with Eucharistic adoration, a Eucharistic procession is an extension of the worship of Jesus Christ, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. When processing with the Holy Eucharist in a reverent, prayerful, and joyful manner, Catholics can honor Christ in the Eucharist and serve as witnesses to the intimate presence of God in the world and each individual. Eucharistic processions powerfully display the Incarnation, or God becoming human, and thus speak of his merciful love for all who journey to eternal life with him. For those Bishop Zielinski to lead Corpus Christi procession in New Ulm; all welcome who participate in the procession, it is an opportunity to proclaim being Catholic and grow in their faith.
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The June 11 Eucharistic procession will serve as the Diocese of New Ulm’s kick-off for the “Year of Parish Renewal” in the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative organized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.”
In late 2019, a Pew Study indicated what many had long suspected. Few Catholics, approximately 30 percent, fully believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This stark reality inspired the bishops of the United States to action. More than an event or a program, they envisioned a true revival to rediscover the source and summit of our Faith through a deep commitment of prayer, pilgrimage, and worship on the part of the entire Church in the United States.
For more information about the National Eucharistic Revival, or to receive “Cor Ad Cor” (“Heart to Heart”), a regular newsletter with newsworthy updates, resources, and more, visit https://eucharisticrevival.org.
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What is the history behind the Eucharistic procession? Eucharistic processions first became a widespread practice in the life of the Church during the celebration of Corpus Christi, this year celebrated on Sunday, June 11. The idea for this solemnity is attributed to St. Juliana, who lived in the 13th century. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI eloquently noted in a homily in 2007, “It was born for the very precise purpose of openly reaffirming the faith of the people of God in Jesus Christ, alive and truly present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. It is a feast established to adore, praise publicly, and thank the Lord, who continues ‘to love us to the end,’ even offering us his body and blood.”
Though directly connected to the liturgical feast of Corpus Christi, Eucharistic processions may take place at other appropriate times and places under the authority of the bishop and following liturgical norms.
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For more information regarding the Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession in New Ulm on June 11, contact diocesan Office of Worship, (507) 233-5320, email worship@dnu.org.
A reflection
Corpus Christi procession June 15, 1995
Monterrey, Mexico
(As printed in the April/May 2023 Prairie Catholic)
by BISHOP CHAD W. ZIELINSKI
As a seminarian in the summer of 1995, I took part in a Spanish language immersion course in Monterrey, Mexico. While there, two other seminarians and I were assigned to work with Fr. Jose in a parish in the Archdiocese of Monterrey when we were not attending class. This parish assignment provided numerous pastoral opportunities to be immersed in the Mexican Catholic culture. Fr. Jose briefed us about the upcoming major celebration for “Jueves de Corpus Christi” (Corpus Christi Thursday) that we, as seminarians, would be involved in. The Solemnity of Corpus Christi in Mexico is celebrated in June on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. My experience participating in Eucharistic processions up to then was limited to inside a church building or a procession around the city block of the church building.
I vividly recall that as we gathered on Thursday midday, a marching band was the first group to show up. I asked the priest for a reason for the marching band, and he looked at me quite dismayed, saying: “It is for Our Lord.”
Gradually, people would gather, and in time there would be two more marching bands. I grew up in a small town, and my parade experience was nothing compared to this group of hundreds getting into formation; one marching band at the head, one somewhere in the middle, and one at the end. Behind the first marching band were six men carrying a platform built upon two large wooden beams. There were loads of beautiful flowers around the periphery of the platform, with a smaller heightened platform in the middle covered in white. This is where the monstrance was placed with Our Lord’s Eucharistic presence. Covering the entire platform was a very regal-looking canopy. It reminded me of pictures of antiquity when the servants of a king or queen would carry them in a procession. The other seminarians and I held a candle, a processional Cross, or incense.
Before the procession began, I wondered why all these people, along with this ornate platform, canopy, and marching bands, were gathered just to go around the block. Little did I know that the procession would last four to five hours and wind its way through the various streets of the local area for what seemed like several miles!
As the marching band fired up the enthusiasm of the crowds in the procession, we made our way through the parish and school grounds. As we entered the first neighborhood, I was shocked to see thousands of people, five to 10 people deep, lining the streets. They were in their Sunday best, displaying an array of colors that reflected their local cultural attire. As the canopy with Our Lord passed by, they would lay bouquets of flowers on the street. I vividly have imprinted in my mind several individuals kneeling on cement streets with tears rolling down their faces. People were bowing, falling to their knees, showing a profound belief and love of Our Lord in their pious actions.
Throughout the procession, we would periodically stop at a home that displayed an ornate altar in the front yard near the street. The monstrance would be placed on the altar, the prayers that accompanied adoration would be said, and the priest would offer benediction to the thousands gathered in the area.
As the procession moved along, with thousands lining the street, some people would join us for part of the distance. I recall them chanting passionately, “Viva El Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ, the King). I would later learn that this chant originated from the oppression of the Church during the mid-1920s in Mexico, when priests and lay faithful were imprisoned, beaten, or martyred for the public practice of their Catholic faith or for simply wearing clerical attire. I was deeply moved by the display of passion, publicly proclaiming that Jesus is their king.
Another chant that was repeated countless times was “Señor, Danos sacerdotes, Danos muchos sacerdotes, Danos muchos muy santos sacerdotes” (Lord, give us priests, Give us many priests, Give us many very holy priests). I was touched by the zealous request to God for priests. Some would walk with me to pray and offer support.
All of this honor, love, and devotion of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist remains alive in my heart, mind, and soul today. What a priceless blessing that increased my love for the Eucharist.