From 3:50-4:15 on Wednesday, October 29th, hundreds of people were probably really confused by the religious procession that was going on. The event that people saw was a Eucharistic Procession put on by St. John’s Catholic Chapel. “What the heck is that?” you ask. I’d like to try to explain.

The belief of the Catholic Church since its founding by Jesus himself is that the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. Even Catholics know that this is a difficult teaching to understand. When Jesus taught this people thought the same thing (see the Gospel of John chapter six).

Many different Christian denominations have Communion services in their worship, but only the Catholic Church believes that the Eucharist is actually Jesus.

Because it is Jesus, and at the name of Jesus ever knee shall bow, Catholics worship Jesus in the Eucharist. Catholics take a consecrated wafer (called a ‘host’) put it in a ‘monstrance’ (a beautiful shiny thing) and display it so that Christians can come and literally be with Jesus and adore Him.

A Eucharistic Procession is an ancient form of worshipping Christ. The Eucharist is placed in a monstrance and carried outside of the Church and into the public square in a procession. It is an opportunity for those in the procession to witness to their Faith by bringing Christ to the public square. It witnesses to a very materialistic world that there is more to this life than what we can see. Finally, it reminds us that this life has more to offer than our own selfish desires and that Jesus has, “come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Matthew Muller

Team Director

Fellowship of Catholic Students