Feast of Corpus Christi
"My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." (John 6:55-56)
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, is a celebration of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. On this day, we recall the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
In the United States, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, rather than on the Thursday. In 2024, it is celebrated on June 2.
While the Last Supper is also commemorated on Holy Thursday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ focuses solely on the gift of the Eucharist. The mood is also more joyous than that felt on Holy Thursday, the day before Christ's Passion and death.
Origins of the Feast Day
The origins of the Feast of Corpus Christi date back to the 13th century and Pope Urban IV, who was influenced by two separate occurrences.
The first was a vision experienced by Sister Juliana of Mont Cornillion, a nun from Belgium who, from an early age, had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament. She believed a special feast should be held in its honor and is said to have had a vision of the Church as a full moon with a dark spot, symbolizing the absence of the feast. She took her cause to Church leaders including the Bishop of Liege and the Archdeacon of the Cathedral of Liege. The bishop began celebrating the feast in his diocese. The archdeacon would go on to become Pope Urban IV, who would become further convinced after witnessing a eucharistic miracle.
It took place outside of the little Italian town of Orvieto. A priest who experienced doubts regarding the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist was offering Mass at a small chapel, when suddenly the host began to bleed. Not sure what to do, he traveled to the neighboring city of Orvieto, where Pope Urban resided at that time. After hearing his account, the pope asked the bishop to investigate and to bring the blood-stained host back to Orvieto. The pope and a delegation met the bishop at his return and processed with the miraculous host to the cathedral, where the host remains to this day.
As word of the eucharistic miracle spread, a special feast day was designated, first locally, and then, in 1254, Pope Urban issued a papal bull establishing the feast for the universal Church, placing it on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Unfortunately, Pope Urban died one month later, and the feast would not become more widely celebrated until the 14th century.
The Feast of Corpus Christi and the Eucharistic Revival
The National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year effort to increase missionary discipleship, was launched on the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2022, and in 2024, the National Eucharistic Congress is being celebrated. The revival is aimed at increasing understanding of what the Eucharist really means and how it can be more fully celebrated, received, adored, and lived.
Pray the Eucharistic Revival Corpus Christi Novena
Eucharistic Processions and Celebrations
The feast is often marked by eucharistic processions, during which the Blessed Sacrament is carried in a monstrance through the church and into the streets. To bring the Blessed Sacrament into the public provides a unique opportunity for him to move people in ways that we do not know and may never understand. It is also an opportunity to unite ourselves to his prayer to the Father that all people find salvation and fulfillment in him, especially praying that his grace move the hearts of the people. Many also spend time in eucharistic adoration on the solemnity.
You'll find a list of some parish celebrations below.
Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes
Following the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street in Portland, there will be a eucharistic procession to St. Peter Church on 72 Federal Street and then to St. Louis Church on 279 Danforth Street, before concluding at Sacred Heart Church on 65 Mellen Street at approximately 2:30 p.m. Following the procession, there will be a picnic in Deering Oaks Parish.
Prince of Peace Parish, Lewiston
In celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 2, parishioners and clergy from Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston will participate in a eucharistic procession down Sabattus Street in the city. The procession will begin at Holy Family Church, located at 607 Sabattus Street, at 12:30 p.m., continue down Sabattus Street for about a mile, and conclude at the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul, located at 122 Ash Street. It is estimated the procession will arrive at the basilica around 2 p.m.
At the basilica, Father Daniel Greenleaf, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish, will offer a blessing for the cities of Lewiston, Lisbon Falls, and Sabattus, the communities served by the parish.
