Dozens celebrate Feast of Corpus Christi in St. Martinville

ST. MARTINVILLE — Main Street became the backdrop for a procession of faith.

Followers of Christ from all across the Teche Area paused to celebrate the body and blood of Jesus Christ at this year’s Corpus Christi Procession held at Our Lady of Sorrows Retreat Center and St. Martin de Tours Church on Sunday in St. Martinville.

“The feast is Corpus Christi, which is a Latin term for “body of Christ,” explained Rev. Michael Champagne of Community of Jesus Christ Crucified. 

As the doors to Our Lady of Sorrows swung open into the heat of the early June afternoon, those who gathered began to sing psalms and celebrate the King who walked amongst them, Jesus Christ himself.

“I brought my mom Tina and my four kids Harleigh, Brittany, Colin, and Brylan,” Monica Guidry of St. Martin De Tours Church said. “A family that prays together, stays together. This is also a public manifestation of seeing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Today we don’t have enough public showings of our faith.”

The blessed sacrament or communion for the Catholic Church represents the actual representation of Christ among worshippers.

“What we believe is John 6 which says  “unless ye eat my flesh and drink my blood there will be no life within you,” Bro. John Joseph Bourque of Community of Jesus Christ Crucified said.  “Jesus took bread and wine before the night he was betrayed. So now the apostles passed that down to the priests today and what looks like bread and looks like wine substantially becomes the body and blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ and we take that body, blood, soul and divinity and we process down the street to celebrate the eucharist.”

Approximately 100 worshippers joined the procession which began at Our Lady of Sorrows Retreat Center and traveled to St. Martin de Tours Church and then proceeded back to the Retreat Center for benediction. 

Every act of reverence held significance in the heart of the believer.

“We carry what we call a monstrance, (which means to demonstrate ) that gold sign of the cross with a sunburst so we can show the Lord,” Rev. Michael Champagne said. “And then we take the blessed sacrament and we put it inside. The incense represents our prayers rising to God and it smells nice symbolizing that our prayers would be pleasing to God. 

“The rose petals and the petal throwers represent throwing petals at the foot of Jesus like on Palm Sunday where they threw palm branches down for the King,” Champagne added. “That tent or tabernacle we carry is to cover a king. That’s done with royalty, it’s a way of honoring Christ.” 

The physical references that exalted Christ’s divinity continued all the way down to the benediction. 

“The priest carries a veil over his shoulders and there are pockets in there,” Champagne said. “We lift up the monstrance so this is more than a priest’s blessing, this is the power of Christ’s blessing us and we do that at the benediction.”

Champagne said the public display of faith became popular throughout church history and powerful despite opposition.

Its significance he said was once felt through powerful displays of miracles.

“About the middle ages it became tradition to have these processions and powerful things would happen with God’s presence being among them,” he said. “People would be healed, wars would stop, enemies would flee,” 

Locally an even bigger crowd is expected to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi later this summer.

“We expect thousands of people when the feast takes place August 15th when we process by boat down the Bayou Vermilion with the blessed sacrament,” Bourque said.

The high temperatures that accompanied Sunday’s procession was what many considered a small price to pay for the honor to show reverence to the center of their faith.

“I celebrate every year and I believe in Corpus Christi and the Catholic Church,” participant Annie Theriot said. “This means everything. I enjoyed the benediction and the singing.”

Added Guidry, “It reminds the kids of what Jesus sacrificed and what we sacrifice being in this heat and coming together as church groups.”