• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
A June 2 eucharistic procession begins at St. John the Evangelist in Frederick. (Courtesy Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post)

Downtown Frederick is site of Corpus Christi procession

June 6, 2024
By Erik Anderson
Special to the Catholic Review
Filed Under: Eucharist, Local News, News, Uncategorized

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn
People pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament during a June 2 eucharistic procession in downtown Frederick. (Courtesy Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post))

FREDERICK – Three blocks of downtown Frederick were cleared of traffic June 2 for an afternoon procession led by St. John the Evangelist Church that drew more than 800 of the faithful into the streets to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Headed by a police car and a pick-up truck carrying speakers that filled the streets with Catholic hymnody in Latin, English and Spanish, the parade slowly marched up East Second Street from the church, continued up North Market Street, then headed down East Third Street for a ceremony at the parish cemetery. It marks the largest such religious procession in the congregation’s living memory.

The focal point of the procession was the Eucharist, encased within a glass circle inside a large golden display vessel called a monstrance. The three parish priests took turns holding the monstrance raised high as they marched through the streets.

The Eucharist was shaded by a baldachin, a large special canopy, and born aloft on poles by four Knights of Columbus. An altar server swinging a censer walked continually ahead of the Eucharist, periodically walking backwards as he shrouded the monstrance in the fragrant smoke of incense. Other servers walked alongside the Eucharist bearing large candles.

About 100 feet in front of the Eucharistic contingent processed nine altar servers, the lead server bearing a tall cross, and two others carrying large candles. Just behind them, four Knights of Columbus guards wielded swords and marched in military style.

When the procession reached the corner of Market and Third streets, the monstrance was set on a makeshift altar near the Up On Market restaurant. As the hundreds of congregants caught up to the monstrance, they knelt on the bare pavement across the whole breadth of Market Street to receive a special Eucharistic blessing. A similar scene unfolded when the procession eventually reached the cemetery.

During the Mass that preceded the procession, Father John Williamson, pastor of St. John and St. Joseph-on-Carrollton Manor in Buckeystown, said the Feast of Corpus Christi Latin for “body of Christ” – was established in the 13th century to reassert the church’s teaching that the bread and wine consecrated at the Mass become the true body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The feast emphasizing the Eucharist was the church’s response to the Albigensian – or Cathar – religious sect at that time in southern France, Father Williamson said. The sect held a distain for all material things and its followers did not believe the clergy could consecrate the Eucharist.

“In 2024 … surveys out there … say only half of Catholics who go to Mass actually believe in the real presence,” he said in his homily. “If that’s true, that is tragic, and we need more than ever to remind ourselves and to proclaim loud and clear that bread and wine will soon become the body and blood of Christ.”

A crowd participates in a June 2 eucharistic procession in downtown Frederick. (Courtesy Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post)

In comments before the Mass, Father Williamson said the American bishops have encouraged parishes throughout the country to celebrate a Eucharistic revival, and the parish responded to that call in part by planning the parade back in January.

He said it required months of negotiations with the city to secure a parade permit for a non-designated route, but he feels the work was well worth it.

“The whole idea of the Corpus Christi processions was to take Christ outside the church into the world,” he said. “It was a very visible way of doing that, and the people felt the Lord was walking in their streets, literally. It’s a very tangible thing to take Christ out of the church and bring him out into the community.”

He said it wasn’t the goal of the procession to proselytize, but he does want to show the community that the church is not dying.

The procession appeared to receive a mixture of positive and confused reactions from onlookers. Many residents and restaurant patrons popped their heads out of doors and windows to watch. Some crossed themselves in reverence. Many others simply stood agape. The procession drew the attention of many neighborhood dogs, who could be seen barking from behind glass all along the route.

As the procession passed Grace United Church of Christ on East Second Street, several congregants emerged to watch the Eucharist parade by. After learning the procession started at the Catholic church, one woman who came out of Grace United exclaimed, “What a wonderful idea!”

This story first appeared in The Frederick News-Post and is published with permission.

Question Corner: Does reception of the Eucharist replace confession?

Question Corner: Can we bring the Precious Blood to the sick?

corpus christi

Pope leads Corpus Christi procession through streets of Rome

Hundreds of thousands march in Poland’s Corpus Christi processions

How a Norbertine nun’s visions led to the feast of Corpus Christi

National Eucharistic Revival

For 3-year National Eucharistic Revival, the end is the beginning

Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Erik Anderson

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Conference of Major Superiors of Men Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

  • Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

| Latest Local News |

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91

Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

| Latest World News |

Pilgrimage of Peace

US prelates head to Japan on ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ amid nuclear fears old and new

jubilee 2025

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Catholic leaders ICE

Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change

RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-meeting

Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations

new york city shooting

‘Never get used to violence,’ says NY cardinal after mass shooting in building near St. Patrick’s

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Movie Review: ‘Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight’
  • New law will help families access America’s Catholic schools
  • Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon
  • How to grow in faith for back-to-school
  • US prelates head to Japan on ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ amid nuclear fears old and new
  • World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says
  • Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change
  • Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations
  • ‘Never get used to violence,’ says NY cardinal after mass shooting in building near St. Patrick’s

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en