Catholics celebrate Corpus Christi with eucharistic procession

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The Catholic Church in Uganda on Sunday (June 7) joined the global Church in celebrating Corpus Christi Sunday, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, marked by solemn Eucharistic processions and public expressions of faith.

The Corpus Christi, formally known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a joyful feast instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264 to adore Jesus as truly present in the Eucharist and to reflect on the meaning of the Last Supper.

At St Padre-Pio Catholic Parish, Kabulamuliro off Entebbe Road, the faithful participated in vibrant outdoor processions that served as a public witness of faith, giving glory to God and symbolising the earthly pilgrimage. Bells were rung, and flowers were spread along the procession path, led by Parish Priest Fr Remigious Kasibante.

During the Eucharistic procession, Fr Kasibante carried the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance through the church grounds, accompanied by hymns, incense and prayers.

While preaching during Mass, Fr Kasibante explained that the celebration reflects the tradition and belief in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and His Real Presence in the Eucharist.

He added that “we emphasise the joy of the institution of the Eucharist, which was observed on Holy Thursday in the sombre atmosphere of the nearness of Good Friday.”

The day’s observance honoured the real presence of the Eucharist and featured a joyful public procession within the church premises.

At the end of Holy Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession from the church to St Padre-Pio Shrine, where it was displayed in a monstrance. The procession concluded with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Altars were set up along the route and decorated with flowers, allowing the faithful to pause and adore the Eucharistic Lord during the procession. Hymns of praise and thanksgiving were sung throughout, culminating in Benediction before the Blessed Sacrament was reposed.

In a second Mass led by preacher Fr Raymond Kalanzi, several Christians attended, including finance minister-designate Henry Musasizi, Emeritus High Court judge Dr Joseph Murangira, and others.

Fr Raymond Kalanzi blessing Christians in the second Mass at St Padre-Pio Catholic Parish, Kabulamuliro

During the service, Fr Kalanzi shared his life testimony centred on the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

He added that “Our faith in the God who took flesh in order to become our companion along the way needs to be everywhere proclaimed, in our homes, as an expression of our grateful love and as an inexhaustible source of blessings.”

About the day

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ was originally fixed to the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and remains so in many countries.

However, in 1969, Pope Paul VI allowed episcopal conferences to transfer the feast to the following Sunday, an option now widely used in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.