Much as I enjoy reading about all sorts of people behaving badly and the Poles busily denouncing the whole lot of them, occasionally I feel a need to talk about folks not behaving badly... in fact behaving in a most edifying manner.
Today I celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi at a neighboring parish. I usually go to a neighboring parish because the procession at home does not even exit the building. Can't blame the pastor much though. He's older than me and I'm not sure how far he could carry a monstrance in procession. The neighbors stage a procession along a 1km route of which one quarter is along a major thoroughfare. It passes in sight of a mosque, then through a residential neighborhood and finally back to the church. The line of march was so long that when the front turned a corner, the rear hadn't turned the previous corner.
I originally heard of this through our Knights of Columbus council which covers three parishes. I marched with the local SSVP thinking I would at least get to meet some new people. Besides, I have never been part of the ostrich plume and satin cape crowd which acts as an honor guard at these things. At the halfway point we stopped for prayers and benediction in a local park. I'd like to post pictures here but I was too busy praying. Here's one of Pope Francis instead.
I have to admire a parish that holds a real Corpus Christi procession these days. It seems to be catching on a bit because the parish to the south initiated one for the first time this year. I find this to be a most edifying practice that gets an entire parish together and lets the neighborhood know there are Catholics in their midst. How was Corpus Christi at your parish??
We had a traditional Mass followed by a procession outside around the multi-acre grounds followed by Benediction. Young girls sprinkled an array of God's colours in beautiful flower petals before the procession.
ReplyDeleteI attended a beautiful Corpus Christi procession at Holy Family Church. I was saddened that so few were in attendance.
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ReplyDeleteAG. One problem with SVP historically, was the creation of St. Casimir's two blocks away. The Polish people in the community (less now of course) should have been attending SVP as their parish. A Polish priest could have been appointed as was done at my own childhood parish. These "ethnic" personal parishes have upset the structural parishes. In Etobicoke, directly across from St. Ambrose is Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal for the Slovenians and now, they have an English Mass. What is the point of that? If the Polish people were attending St. Vincent de Paul, it would be more viable.
ReplyDeleteOf course the other problem, and bigger as the Poles decrease, is the rampant secularism of the young families moving in to "Roncy" even amongst those who are Catholic.
As for the parish, there is not a lot of outreach, "we're here, come if you like". Not much evangelisation or community to be sure. The Fathers are wonderful in many ways, but parish life at SVP does not seem to be a priority.
It is a vast disconnect, like this beautiful edifice is not even there.
Necessarily Anonymous so as not to offend.
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