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Today is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord or Corpus Christi. The Feast Day was established in 1246 in Belgium when St. Juliana of Mont Carvillon had mystical apparitions which led the official Church to establish a celebration specifically asserting our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, offering the spiritual benefits that derive from such belief, praying for those who ridicule our Creed, and proclaiming the Real Presence not only in our own Churches, but throughout the places where we live. Therefore, the Eucharistic Procession quickly became a part of the Feast Day. Time-out for Benediction – a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament itself over those who participate – became a usual part of the procession. It was in the era of the Feast’s institution that St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the Divine Office prayers, including the classic hymn Pange Lingua. At one time observed on a post-Easter Season Thursday to mirror the Last Supper of Holy Thursday, the Feast was moved by the bishops of our country and most of the world to the Sunday following Trinity Sunday. On a Sunday when we are supposed to gather anyway, all Catholics are invited to appreciate and honor the great gift we have – the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Father Paul Stein - Holy Name Cathedral’s Liturgy Director soon to become the pastor of St. Sylvester Church in Logan Square - will lead our hour-long Corpus Christi procession beginning at 1:30pm, immediately after Sunday’s 12:30pm Mass, to the retired Quigley Seminary’s St. James Chapel (Rush & Pearson) for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Please, join us. Over 100 adult Catholics will receive the once-in-a-lifetime Sacrament of Confirmation Monday, June 11, at 7:00pm in Holy Name Cathedral. Francis Cardinal George along with our own Episcopal Vicar, Bishop Francis Kane, will celebrate the Mass and administer the Sacrament. Pastoral associate Ann Klocke organized several members of the Cathedral’s Pastoral Staff in providing a quality program of preparation for the Sacrament. Increasingly over the years, we realize that families are far more mobile than they were in previous times. With people in motion, participation in a sacramental preparation program of any length has become more of a problem. In addition, the Sacrament is celebrated at different age levels in different dioceses and even in different parishes within the same diocese. Therefore, when a 14-year-old’s family moves before she can prepare for Confirmation in junior year of high school, she may discover that her new parish has already had their young teens Confirmed in the 7th grade. Furthermore, some parents, especially those whose religious education took place in an era when religious instruction may have been weak, were tepid in urging their children to be Confirmed. When a Catholic of that era reaches young adulthood, he may realize that something is missing in his religious formation. Maybe that Catholic is on the verge of a marriage; maybe she has just graduated from school; maybe he has undergone a re-awakening of his soul; maybe she has reached a particular stage of maturity. Whatever the circumstance, motivated by the winds of Providence, a Catholic may look to have the virtues of her or his Baptism shined up and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s what has been taking place in the preparation classes. That’s what will be celebrated Monday night in the Cathedral. Please, pray for those to be Confirmed on Monday. Coffee-in-the-Courtyard continues again this weekend. All summer long, after the 8:15, 9:30, & 11:00 Sunday morning Masses, the various ministries and organizations of Holy Name Cathedral parish under the direction of the welcoming Parish Life Commission invite you to relax with a cup of coffee, a taste of juice, and some delicious breakfast food. There is no other reason for Coffee-in-the-Courtyard than to relax. If you are a Cathedral parishioner, get to know the folks with whom you pray every week. If you are a visitor, be our guest. There is something good waiting for you in the courtyard – out the doorway in the front of the Cathedral on the left side. I’ll look for you every summer Sunday morning at Holy Name Cathedral’s Coffee-in-the-Courtyard. Join us next Sunday as we say farewell to Father Paul Stein before he moves on to become pastor of St. Sylvester Church. Father Stein will offer the 9:30 Mass. Please stop by Coffee-in-the-Courtyard after the 9:30 to wish him the best in his new assignment. The Cathedral received the following letter from The Women’s Centers of Greater Chicagoland: “Thank you for allowing us to hold our annual Mother’s Day Flower Sale at your parish. Your flower sales totaled $2,296. Proceeds raised from this event will help greatly in meeting our summer expenses. Again, our deepest thanks to your parishioners and the many volunteers who made this event a success. Because of your participation, many babies will live to celebrate this special day with their Moms in the years and decades ahead! Thank you for your leadership in the protection of the life of all God’s children, born and unborn.” Friday, June 15th, is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. That image of divine love will be celebrated at all Masses on Friday. Francis Cardinal George will offer the 12:10pm Mass. All are invited to pray with us. The Lay Ecclesial Movements are Archdiocesan-recognized spiritual institutes fostering devotion and apostolates among the faithful. Those Ministries will honor Cardinal George Thursday evening in Holy Name Cathedral as the Cardinal continues to celebrate his 10th anniversary as our Archbishop. Among the Movements invited to Thursday’s prayer will be the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the Christian Family Movement, the Cursillo, the Focolare, the Holy Name Society, Couples for Christ, the Legion of Mary, the World Apostolate of Fatima or “Blue Army”, the Neocatechumenal Way, Marriage Encounter, Regnum Christi, and others. Pray for Cardinal George as he commemorates the beginning of his second decade as chief shepherd of Chicago’s Catholics. Next Sunday is Fathers Day. If you are fortunate enough to have your dad with you, bring him to Mass at Holy Name Cathedral. Whether he is with you or not, I promise that your dad and mine will be in the Cathedral prayers next weekend. Fr. Dan Mayall |
