Corpus Christi in the Desert

11 June 2020 Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop Paul Etienne, community, Deacon James Fish, Holy Days, Holy Rosary Parish Tacoma, Meditations, Moments in Time, Rev. Francis Xavier Kikomeko, Rev. Jacob Maurer, Rev. Justin McCreedy OSB, Rev. Martin Bourke, Rev. Michael Wagner, Rev. Nicholas Wichert, The Sacred Liturgy

For seven years, on the Sunday Solemnity of Corpus Christi, my parish of Holy Rosary had an outdoor Procession of the Blessed Sacrament following the Noon Mass, taking Jesus through the streets of Tacoma and amongst His people.

Rev. Jacob Maurer in the
Corpus Christi Procession, 2013

This is a particularly special solemnity for our parish. Back in 2013, this was the first time our parish had held a procession in decades. It was the first project undertaken by what would become our Liturgy Commission. And the Mass that year was celebrated by Archbishop Sartain.

It’s safe to say that this was the event that put our parish firmly on the road to increased liturgical solemnity and liturgical devotion.

It was, if I may quote from Archbishop Etienne’s recent pastoral letter, the moment when we began to “manifest the real nature of the true Church” as missionary disciples in the streets of Tacoma. And from there, we never stopped.

From 2013 through 2019, we brought Jesus in the Eucharist to the people of Tacoma, proclaiming Him our Eucharistic King.

Until now.

This year, on the very day which will begin our Year of the Eucharist in our archdiocese, we will not process.

Rev. Francis Xavier Kikomeko in the Corpus Christi Procession, 2018.
Photo by Palaestra Gems International.

It’s easy enough to blame the current pandemic for this. Only now are our churches beginning to open their doors (or parking lots!) for public Masses. And while we’ve had live-streamed Masses, the fact that we couldn’t gather together as parishes and communities has been difficult. Processions themselves are still potential plague vectors, a fact that fills me with some dread as I contemplate the marches and protests happening all over our country.

So we will not process.

Beyond COVID-19, though, there’s a more painful aspect to all of this. Last year’s Corpus Christi procession ended with a goodbye potluck for our parish priest, Rev. Martin Bourke. Since then, the Archdiocese has not assigned us a priest.

*Rev. Martin Bourke and Deacon Jim Fish in the Corpus Christi Procession, 2019*

While I hope the Archbishop will assign us a priest soon, I have largely given up hope. We have been extremely fortunate to have Rev. Justin McCreedy, OSB, celebrate our weekend Masses – when we still had such a thing – but he’s very much a fill-in, serving month to month. And he’s not young or in the best of health, so in the midst of the current public health situation, he cannot celebrate Mass with us.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been helping draft our parish re-opening plan – the description of the policies and procedures we’re developing to control and mitigate our COVID-19 risk for our people and ministers in our offices and at Mass. This has been a crazy amount of work, but in the back of my head is the knowledge that it all will be for nought if the archdiocese cannot find a priest for us.

This is an added burden on all our parishioners, many of whom are not certain if our doors will ever open again.

This has been a rough couple of years. Our pastor, Father Wagner died. Our beloved and beautiful parish church building was closed down with the threat of it falling to the wrecking ball. We have been denied a pastor for almost a year now. Our tabernacle was stolen, and the Eucharist profaned. We’ve had months of plague-induced distance and desolation. The end of our Eucharistic processions. It’s as if the devil himself was putting obstacle after obstacle in the way of our parish, stealing everything away piece by piece – even the Eucharistic Jesus Himself – and slowly tearing us down to nothing.

And what is the answer? The answer is Jesus. Put not your trust in the things of this world, but in the Sacred Heart of our Divine King.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

The Lord has a plan for us, and none of our sufferings are in vain. I’m reminded of the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, “If God sends you many sufferings it is a sign that He has great plans for you, and certainly wants to make you a saint.”

The Lord in His wisdom has allowed us to gaze upon Him in the Eucharist. And make no mistake – this is Christ Himself: body, blood, soul, divinity. What a great consolation He has given us, to be so present to His people!

So for this Corpus Christi, for this Year of the Eucharist, let us resolve to place our trust in Him, to adore Him, and to pray for the graces to be saints.