Archbishop William E. Lori closed the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Year of the Eucharist with a special Mass on the Feast of Corpus Christi June 19 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.
Hundreds of parishioners from across the archdiocese gathered for the special celebration, which was followed by an outdoor eucharistic procession on the grounds of the cathedral.
The celebration came on the same day the U.S. bishops launched their three-year National Eucharistic Revival.
“The Eucharist is always at the forefront of the church,” Archbishop Lori said during his homily, “but sometimes we need to focus on it more. Now is one of those times.”
Archbishop Lori reminded those gathered that Catholics need to reach out to those who may not have encountered Jesus in the Eucharist.
“When it comes down to it, our job is not to sell the Eucharist,” he said, “but to open our hearts to faith. Only with the grace of the Holy Spirit can you and I accept this gift and encounter the Lord.”
Many families participated in the outdoor procession, which was led by the archbishop carrying a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. Also present for the celebration were Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop Lori’s predecessor; and Baltimore Auxiliary Bishops Adam Parker and Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R.
Children who recently received their first holy Communion wore their white dresses and suits at the Corpus Christi event.
The multicultural gathering included music from the cathedral’s choir, a Hispanic choir from St. Joseph in Cockeysville and an African-American choir from St. Bernardine in West Baltimore.
Those attending were enthusiastic about the celebration.
“The procession was very, very good,” said Adrian Alvarado, a parishioner of St. Patrick in Fells Point. “We came for the Corpus Christi celebration. For me it is very important. It is a traditional celebration.”
Troy Baisey, a parishioner of St. Katharine Drexel in Frederick and St. Timothy in Walkersville, said he is praying regularly to discern his vocation.
“I wanted to watch my favorite priest, Archbishop Lori, celebrate Mass because it brings me joy and peace and happiness,” Baisey said. “The Eucharist means you need to grow closer to God and remember that Jesus is inside your heart and soul.”
Members of the cathedral’s parish have also been touched by the Eucharist this year. Apple Koekemoer is an extraordinary minister of holy Communion at the cathedral. She attended the Corpus Christi celebration with her husband, Anton. She said she has participated regularly in eucharistic adoration throughout the Year of Eucharist.
“I feel that it is the real presence of the body of Christ – that I can feel it,” she said. “I feel every week we should be able to give a half hour to be closer to God.”
Her husband expressed a similar experience with the Eucharist.
“I feel the Eucharist really truly is a sign of God’s love,” he said. “It really shows the true presence of God.
Following the Corpus Christi Mass and procession, Archbishop Lori stood in the shade of a tree and offered Catholics a chance to venerate a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a Catholic Italian teenager who died in 2006 and who was known for his intense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. The archbishop noted that Blessed Acutis referred to the Eucharist as the “highway to heaven.”
Families enjoyed unlimited free Kono Ice and other treats after the celebration, as well as an inflatable slide and bounce house for children. The sweetened shaved ice treat was especially popular with the children.
To view more photos from the closing Mass and festivities for the Year of the Eucharist visit https://catholicreview.smugmug.com/Feast-of-Corpus-Christi-Year-of-the-Eucharist/ or click the slide show below.
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