Celebration honors the soul of the Church, the Eucharist

The Diocese of Corpus Christi joined Catholics throughout the world by celebrating the central mystery of the Christian faith, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The International Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated on June 3. 

The event brought together hundreds of Catholics throughout the diocese. Remarkably, it is also a celebration of the name of our diocese, city, and cathedral. It was a day spent with our Lord in Corpus Christi Cathedral, which included adoration, holy hours, Mass, an indoor procession, vespers and benediction and a Eucharistic Miracles exhibit in St. Joseph Hall.

Dedicating one day of the year to “throwing a big celebration” was the mission of Jaime Reyna, Director for the Office of Multicultural Ministry and coordinator of the event. At the behest of Bishop Michael Mulvey, Reyna planned every detail of the day in collaboration with many ministries and volunteers to bring about an atmosphere of intimacy with Christ among His people. They were people from all over and of different ethnic origins, but mainly from the surrounding parishes and cities that make up the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

The doors of the cathedral began to receive parishioners before 11 a.m. As people began to trickle in, Reyna welcomed attendees and described the upcoming events of the day. 

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo first established the day’s importance with a city proclamation presented to Bishop Michael Mulvey, naming June 3, 2021, as “Feast of Corpus Christi Day.”

Following the proclamation, Bishop Mulvey presided over Mass, concelebrating with priests throughout the diocese. His homily gave people a deeper understanding of the meaning of the sacramental mystery. “To understand the Eucharist is to understand the immensity of God’s love, as St. John said; ‘Having loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end’” (Jn 13:1).

“We are human beings who share the soul that God has given us in Jesus Christ,” Bishop Mulvey said. His words came to life among the faithful. 
The day’s celebration included many parts of one body, as some people dressed in traditional clothing celebrating their national or cultural identity. 

With intention, the day included bilingual and Spanish-speaking priests and seminarians who gave readings and homilies in Spanish. The event also included Catholic Charities Ministry and Life Enrichment for Persons with Disabilities as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters Maricela “Mari” Rivera and David Gaitan interpreted for the Deaf during the noon Mass. Terry Espinoza interpreted during the evening. Through them, the Word was communicated.

The Eucharist remained exposed until 6 p.m. and every hour leading up to the procession were times of spiritual reflection, centered on five biblical readings. Retired priests presided over each holy hour. They gave a homily and shared stories of faith to lead the faithful to an intimate and profound encounter with Jesus before adoration. Each Holy Hour was always accompanied by live musician(s), and seminarians recited different readings from the Bible prepared ahead of time for reflection. 

The traditional outdoor Eucharistic procession took place inside the cathedral as sheets of rain poured down from the sky. Accompanied by altar servers, seminarians, deacons and priests, Bishop Mulvey processed down the cathedral’s corridors as he reverently held up the monstrance that housed the Eucharist.  

“We live in an important and exciting time; Jesus gave us his body and blood so that our life as a Catholic community, as disciples of Jesus Christ, is a testimony for those who have lost their souls, who have given their souls to other ideologies,” Bishop Mulvey said. “The reality of the body and blood of Our Lord, which comes upon this altar every day, is our food, our soul and our way forward.”

To view past photos go to southtexascatholic.com/news/pastfeasts.