Corpus Christi:

The Feast of the Most Holy Body

& Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

We celebrate Corpus Christi this Sunday. Corpus Christi was first celebrated in 1246 when the Bishop of Liege (located in Belgium) ordered it be kept by all parishes in his diocese. He did so after St Julianna shared her vision where she heard a mysterious, heavenly voice shared that a feast commemorating the Blessed Sacrament needed to be added to the liturgical calendar.

In 1263, Fr Fr Praga struggled with doubts about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He prayed God send him a sign to help him believe. One day while he was celebrating Mass in his parish in Bolsena, a small town in central Italy, he received a sign. At the fraction, the breaking of the bread, blood flowed from the broken bread onto the corporal and altar cloth, eventually dripping onto the floor. Pope Urban IV heard of the miracle and ordered the altar cloth brought to where he was residing in Orvieto. That cloth is still venerated today at the Church of St Mary in Orvieto.

Following these two miracles, Pope Urban IV ordered this feast be kept by the Church Universal in a papal bull he issued on 11 August 1264. The feast extolls the love of Our Saviour in the gift of the Holy Eucharist. St Thomas Aquinas wrote a liturgy and hymns specific to this feast, some of which we will sing Sunday as we give thanks for the real presence of Jesus in every Eucharist we celebrate and in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament has left us a memorial of his passion: Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunday School Teachers

Needed for Next Year

Consider teaching Sunday school next Fall. Our children and teenage ministries are central to the life of our parish. So many great experiences take place in the classroom, where children begin to develop a faith in God through the ministry of our Sunday school teachers. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and the Middle/High School programs thrive through the gifts of time and talent our teachers share each week. Please consider if God may be calling you to be part of our team of teachers. We need a dozen adults to help lead these programs that will resume in September. If you have questions, please speak with Kristen Weems (email), the director of our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, or Father Tripp (email).

A Note About This

Sunday's Music

Suite médiévale en forme de messe basse {Medieval Suite in the Form of a Low Mass} was composed by French organist Jean Langlais in 1947. It consists of five movements which correspond to the places in a Low Mass where the organ would accompany the liturgical action, and each movement quotes a different Gregorian chant.

This Sunday's offertory voluntary, entitled Improvisation (Élévation), was meant to accompany the Elevation, the raising of the consecrated bread and wine so that they may be seen by the congregation. The chant quoted in this movement is Adoro te devote, a Eucharistic hymn dating from the 13th century with text written by St. Thomas Aquinas and included in our hymnal as “Humbly I Adore Thee.”

Serving On Sundays

Click the link below to volunteer to serve as Lector, Chalice Bearer, Acolyte, Thurifer, or Subdeacon at the 8.30 and/or 11.00 Masses. New volunteers are always welcome! Speak with Father Tripp or our verger, Jerry Adams, after Mass with any questions.

We would love to have more volunteers in all positions!!