Catalina Guzman’s responses were short but were spoken from deep within her heart as she described the impact of the Corpus Christi procession and the Eucharist has had in her life.
“It makes me cry,” said Guzman, of Holy Family Parish-St. Joseph in LaPorte. “It’s very beautiful. The peace. I feel deep love for Jesus.”
Catalina and her sister, Maria Guzman, were part of the nearly 175-person parish procession. The numbers were down this year due to temperatures reaching into the 100s with the heat index. The procession began at St. Joseph Church and followed a nearly two-mile route that traveled through the downtown and around the city’s Clear Lake before ending with benediction at Sacred Heart Church.
For those walking the procession, and even for those who couldn’t, Corpus Christi was an opportunity to focus on the Lord in the Eucharist.
“Today reminds me that I can always come to Him, anytime, when I’m happy or when I have problems or to pray for other people. Within the Eucharist, I feel God’s love for me and for everyone,” said Maria Guzman.
The day was an opportunity to share Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with the community.
“It’s very important to take Christ into the community to transform lives,” Maria Guzman added.
Although Corpus Christi is a very personal encounter for Juan Temores, celebrating as a community reminds him of Christ’s call to come together in celebration as a community.
“I get emotional about it – the whole church community together. Jesus is the one who brings us together,” described Temores.
He admitted he felt a more of an awareness of Christ’s presence, attributing it to the community coming together for the procession, the use of incense, the singing, and praying the rosary along the way.
“We are showing the whole town what being a Catholic means,” he said. “We’re sending a good message to the whole city that Jesus is the center of our faith. I hope this even motivates people to get back to Mass.”
The Michigan City Catholic communities of St. Mary the Immaculate Conception, St. Stanislaus Kostka, Queen of All Saints and Notre Dame came together for a procession, drawing nearly a little over a hundred parishioners.
Deacon Doug Noveroske described the moving experience of carrying Jesus during the procession.
“I’m carrying Jesus, my Lord and my God. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. I held Him up high for all to see,” Noveroske said.
He continued, “When you’re carrying that monstrance, you’re so close to Jesus- you feel His presence around you, within you. You feel He’s helping you, especially in the heat.”
Noveroske reflected on the fact that in the United States, we are free to boldly share our faith. “It’s wonderful that in our country we have the freedom and the ability to exercise our faith and to be able to show others our faith as we walk through the streets of the city.”
Vic Sterns was one of many Knights of Columbus Honor Guard members who processed in uniform.
“You don’t come out on a 90-plus degree day if you don’t love somebody,” Sterns said.
He detailed how he was deeply impacted by the day. “To walk behind such blessed men who are carrying our Lord and to be so close in the procession, I feel like I’m following in the footsteps of Christ in a sense. It means a lot to me.”
Sterns said Corpus Christi is a great reminder for not only himself, but for the community. “This is who we follow. This is Jesus. This is not a wafer, not a host, but this is Jesus elevated in a monstrance, Jesus adored. Jesus glorified.”
The day was extra special for Sterns, in addition to celebrating the feast day.
“The icing on the cake was that today’s my birthday,” he explained. “This is God’s gift to me. Then again, we get ice cream at the end. What a day.”
Caption: Following the 12 p.m. Mass at Holy Family Parish-St Joseph Church, parishioners, along with the Knights of Columbus Color Guard, joined in a procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 22. The nearly two-mile procession through downtown LaPorte made a brief stop in front of St. Peter Church then on to Sacred Heart Church for benediction. Ice cream was available for a cold refreshing treat on a day that saw temperatures well into the 90’s. (Michael Wellinski photo)
