 |
| Benediction at St. Patrick's, 1920s |
Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi. Few today know the Latin meaning- the Body of
Christ. Even fewer recall the days of
processions around the church with “stations” set up for Benediction. Before Vatican II, the Feast of Corpus
Christi was considered a major day of observance and was looked forward to with
much anticipation. Every year until the
1950s, the Sisters of Notre Dame recorded the day’s events in the journal they
kept. The following are excerpts from
the journal:
June, 1882- We had our annual procession which this year
was more magnificent than ever. Over one
hundred fifty cadets trained by the Xaverian Brothers and dressed in Our Lady’s
colors, white and blue, lent a new charm to the scene. Thousands of voices blended in one grand
harmony chanting the strain of Pange Lingua as the procession wound in and out
of the garden walks. As the procession
passed through the street the band played some religious airs and as soon as
our Dear Lord once more entered the church the organ pealed forth its grandest
strains of welcome. Here Benediction was
given a third time, the entire congregation singing the Tantum Ergo and when
all was over the Te Deum was chanted by the thousands (reported to be 10,000)
present.
No comments:
Post a Comment