In the Streets of Sydney

As we all know, this past Sunday marks the feast of Corpus Christi, which often includes a Eucharistic procession. It is no secret that the Church loves processions – we have them all the time, but the Feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist as the Bread of Life, is often the largest procession of the year. There are several reasons for the procession, but perhaps the simplest explanation is to remember that we cannot live on bread (or any material items) alone; rather, everything that sustains us has a connection to God. As the bread from Heaven, the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our faith and so it leads our procession through the daily activities of our lives.

Depending on where you are, the procession of Corpus Christi may be as simple as a walk around the Church, but if you live in Sydney, 10,000+ flood the streets of the urban center in a witness of prayer, song and life. It was the largest procession Morgan and I had ever participated in and we were quite impressed. Yet again, the people here demonstrate such great hope for what will come from WYD – the anticipation characterizes everything the Church does at this point.


Of course, any event like this is not without its comical moments – something Morgan and I experienced first hand. Now, you have to understand, we didn’t know what to expect, so we came prepared for a journey, with a backpack containing a few things, walking shoes and pants along with our usual white shirt and cross. We arrived just prior to the procession, near the entrance of the church from where the procession would begin. Very quickly we were noticed by the volunteers as Basilian seminarians who then opened the barriers and instructed inside the church with all the other seminarians, priests and religious. Before we knew it, we were leading the procession, despite our attempts to duck out into the back somewhere. Keep in mind, we dressed for a walk and in no way fit in with the other religious folk who where wearing albs, cassocks or suits. No, no, we were in jeans and running shoes!

As it turns out, we managed to break back through the barrier so we could walk with everyone else; thus, saving ourselves from the anxiety and embarrassment of being unprepared. However, we learned a few things from this: As Religious seminarians so closely connected with the diocese, people want us to be seen and heard. We never considered participating in the procession as anyone other than Chris and Morgan, but the truth is people don’t just want us to be Chris and Morgan, but also be Basilian seminarians, which we are learning, demands much more awareness and humility. You would think we would realize that by now. . . and in a sense we do -- we know it, but we just didn’t realize how important it is for other people for them to see that we know it.


If the purpose of the Eucharistic procession is to remind people of the connection between all of life and God, then the priest, who is the primary minister of the Eucharist, must be the first one to witness our need for the Eucharist. As we are learning more and more, this witness isn’t just about knowing it, but about being seen as knowing it. Only when seen, will we be able to help others be a witness with their own lives.