Feast of Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession attracts large crowd in Front Royal

Each year, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for “Body of Christ”), symbolizing their belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Traditionally the feast of Corpus Christi is held on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Thursday is the day that Jesus instituted the Most Holy Eucharist, the first Mass, at the Last Supper before his atoning sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday. In the United States, the celebration of Corpus Christi has been transferred to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.

This annual celebration occurs two weeks after Pentecost toward the beginning of summer in the return to Ordinary Time following the Great Easter 50-Days. This is a time when Catholics can demonstrate their love for Christ in the Real Presence by honoring Him in a very public way. It is also a wonderful approach in which Catholics can also display a love for their neighbors by bringing Our Lord and Savior closer to the community.

In honor of this occasion, Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Front Royal held its 23rd annual Eucharistic Procession on Sunday, June 19 at 6:00 pm. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was carried from the church following the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The congregation lined Main Street and joined in the procession after Our Lord (Eucharist in a gold vessel called a Monstrance) passed through. The monstrance itself is protected by a decorated canopy.

The Blessed Sacrament was carried from the church to begin the procession. Our Lord (Eucharist in a gold vessel called a Monstrance) is protected by a decorated canopy. All photos courtesy of Mary Fran Cherry.

The procession was led by the United States Flag and the Papal Flag, followed by four additional priests and a deacon, First Communicants, Knights of Columbus in their 4th-degree regalia, altar servers in their cassocks, members of all parish ministries and lay people and their families. Church leaders estimated that 800 men, women, and children were gathered at the Town Gazebo to give public witness to their belief in the sacrament of the eucharist and to their devotion.

The congregation sang hymns and recited prayers as they walked down Main Street to the Town Gazebo. The Blessed Sacrament was placed on the altar in the Gazebo for a brief recitation of the Fatima Eucharistic Prayers and Benediction. Tantum Ergo was sung from the Eucharistic Hymn (Pange Lingua) composed by St. Thomas Aquinas in the mid-1200s, nearly 800 years ago. On the return procession to the church, the congregation prayed and sang various hymns (such as Anima Christi) that express belief in the True Presence of Jesus—body, blood, soul, and divinity–in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Priests and altar servers sing and walk in the procession to the Gazebo in downtown Front Royal.

The Blessed Sacrament is placed on the altar in the Front Royal Town Gazebo for Fatima Eucharistic Prayers and Benediction.

Altar servers kneel and pray during Fatima Eucharistic Prayers and Benediction.

The Church congregation kneels and prays during Fatima Eucharistic Prayers and Benediction.

In procession with the Lord and with continuous songs of praise, the faithful returned to the church for the Concluding Benediction where the Blessed Sacrament was then reposed in the Tabernacle. The procession took approximately 45 minutes. Volunteers were positioned on every block to offer assistance, where necessary. Front Royal police officers were on hand to manage traffic control around Main Street and provide oversight.

After prayers at the Town Gazebo, approximately 800 parishioners walk past the Warren County Courthouse and continue westward towards St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

An Ice Cream Social took place after the procession in the church basement as well as in the adjacent park. St John the Baptist Church thanks Garber Ice Cream Company of Winchester for providing a discount on their delicious ice cream.

The tradition of bringing the Eucharistic Procession out into the Front Royal streets began in 2000. That year was declared a Jubilee Year by Pope (now Saint) John Paul ll. Key members of the Knights of Columbus were motivated to express the Church’s belief in the Real presence of the Front Royal community and take Jesus into the streets to bless the town and all the souls that live in and around it.

“Over the last 23 years, St John the Baptist Catholic Church, led and organized by members of the Knights of Columbus, has faithfully held an annual procession with crowds from 400 to 500 to more than 1,000, depending on various factors such as time of day, weather, or COVID restrictions,” said Vince Criste, Past Grand Knight of Knights Council #7771.

“Since St. John’s sits on West Main Street and the town gazebo sits at the far end of East Main Street, it made sense to take the Blessed Sacrament straight down the center of town with a police escort to the town gazebo, a natural gathering place, which makes for a suitable altar for such a Divine guest,“ said Criste.

According to Criste, the town has always been cooperative and the police support over these many years has been fantastic.

One of the great privileges of liberty in this country is our ability to publicly practice our faith. St. John the Baptist is delighted to honor Our Lord in this way and to bring his love and blessing out into the streets.

“The Eucharist is one of the great mysteries of our Faith. We accept that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ because Jesus himself instituted this great sacrament. As God, He is Truth itself. He can neither deceive nor be deceived. So, we don’t need ‘science’ … just faith and trust in Jesus said, Criste. “In his mercy and to sustain our Faith, Our Lord has confirmed this mystery by allowing amazing Eucharistic miracles in various parts of the world.” (To learn more about Eucharistic Miracles, please go to https://www.ncregister.com/blog/five-eucharistic-miracles).

Saint John the Baptist is located at 120 West Main Street, Front Royal, VA. The Church (currently a congregation of 6,000) was dedicated on September 7, 1884, by Rt. Rev. John J. Keane, Bishop of Richmond, who was assisted by Rev. O’Connell; the Rev. D. Roley of Baltimore was the Celebrant of the High Mass, with Rev. O’Reilly assisting.

About the Feast:
The Feast of Corpus Christi originated in 1246 when Robert de Torote, Bishop of Liege, ordered the festival celebrated in his diocese. He was persuaded to initiate the feast by St. Juliana, prioress of Mont Cornillon near Liège (1222–58), who had experienced a vision. It did not spread until 1261, when Jacques Pantaléon, formerly Archdeacon of Liège, became pope as Urban IV. In 1264 he ordered the whole Church to observe the feast. Urban’s order was confirmed by Pope Clement V at the Council of Vienne in 1311–12. By the mid-14th century, the festival picked up momentum and in the 15th century, it became one of the principal feasts of the Church.