“Alain, I want to have pictures of your Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession in the Catholic Standard!"
Our Cardinal addresses all the priests of the Archdiocese by their first name. As we are over 200, I am always surprised that he remembers all our names. My surprise last Saturday was the Cardinal’s last-minute simple but unusual request to me as he was leaving the Sacristy of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the joyful morning he had just ordained 10 new young priests.
We had only a few hours before our Corpus Christi Procession. My first reaction was "He is the Cardinal - Archbishop, why didn't he ask his own staff?" As I was able to contact Mark Zymelman, the Editor of the Catholic Standard , later in the day, I understood the Cardinal's request: all the photographers and staff of the Catholic Standard were already assigned to several events on the Sunday morning of Corpus Christi. We had to use our own parish resources!
Our own volunteer photographer, Abigail Lagman Strawberry, was unavailable but our two seminarians proved to be resourceful: one asked his own brother to come and take many many pictures, and the other volunteered to write a short article for the Standard. God provides! It all worked out! Below is the QR code for the already published article on the Catholic Standard website. Also, the article will appear in the printed version of the June 25 Catholic Standard.
Bishop Dorsonville who led our Corpus Christi celebration (Mass and Procession) gave a personal and inspirational homily. Below is the short article sent by newly ordained Deacon Juan Pablo to the Catholic Standard (final version in Standard was edited by Mark Zymelman):
"Corpus Christi Celebration at Our Lady Help of Christians:
To celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Most Reverend Mario Dorsonville, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, presided the Eucharist at Our Lady Help of Christians in Waldorf, Maryland. It was concelebrated by Fathers Alain Colliou and Jan Pietryga, pastor, and vicar respectively. In HIS HOMILY, Bishop Dorsonville shared HOW THE EUCHARIST PLAYED AND STILL PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN HIS VOCATIONAL JOURNEY. He emphasized that the outdoor LITURGICAL PROCESSION is "a VISIBLE SIGN OF THE MISSION OF EVERY CHRISTIAN," that is "the proclamation of the Kingdom of God with one's own life after being nourished by the EUCHARIST". Following the Mass, he was accompanied by the priests, deacons, a dozen altar boys, and more than a hundred parishioners who processed with the BLESSED SACRAMENT around the Smallwood Village Center in Waldorf. With hymns and SONGS, the parish community SHARED THE JOY OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY made present in the SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST. The procession concluded with the benediction at the entrance of the Church (at the foot of our large outdoor Crucifix)."
Corpus Christi celebration was one of the highlights of our just completed First Year of EUCHARISTIC RENEWAL at OLHOC. As the entire Catholic Church in our country just entered into a 3-year Eucharistic Revival, we will continue to focus on our own program of Eucharistic Renewal. Your ideas and suggestions are most welcome.
May God grant all of us the grace of centering our Christian Life on the Sacrament of the EUCHARIST!
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain