“You are good people. You are God’s people.”
Looking out at the 200-plus women, men and children gathered in lawn chairs at Haddonfield’s Library Point, Father Jon Thomas, pastor of Christ the King Parish, affirmed the communal public witness.
“We’re here to bring the Eucharist to the public square and let people know that [the Church] is thriving,” he said, preaching among those sitting on the patch of green grass at the intersection of three roads in town.
Amidst passing cars, pedestrians and a slight breeze, Christ the King Parish celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) on June 2, joining more than 40 Catholic parish communities across the Diocese of Camden and throughout the world in remembering the Real Presence of Christ in Holy Communion.
In Minotola, Father Ariel Hernandez, pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Newfield, led a procession around Saint Michael Church, holding high the monstrance as dozens of parishioners followed in prayer. The group paused to pray in the church’s rose garden, in front of the new respect life monument and statue of the Blessed Mother.
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A similar scene took place along the Jersey Shore, with faithful from Notre Dame de la Mer Parish joining Father Cadmus Mazzarella and Deacon Nick Danze to the Wildwood boardwalk in Eucharistic procession.
For the second year in a row, the three parishes of the City of Camden – the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Joseph Pro-Cathedral and Sacred Heart – spent the day in Eucharistic procession, too, their faithful and others walking more than 3 miles through the city’s streets with pastors and clergy.
In Haddonfield, Father Thomas recalled the words his grandmother used to keep him away from junk food: “You are what you eat.”
In regular consumption of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, “We will become more like Him. We don’t celebrate Mass so that bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ; we celebrate Mass so that we can become the Body of Christ,” he said in his homily. “Then, when we leave church, we can go out into our neighborhoods, spend time with other people and be Christ to them.”
Don’t be afraid “in becoming like the world” in these encounters with secular society, Father Thomas implored the faithful, but instead be confident that they are, indeed, acting as conduits of “God’s salvation to the world.”
“We all know people who need help,” he said, “and we can all be Christ to them. … How can I become Christ? By receiving Him in Holy Communion on a regular basis.”
Referencing Haddonfield and the other neighboring homes of the gathered, he reminded all: “When we pray for our communities, they are beautiful and shaped like the Kingdom of God.”
After Mass, the celebration continued with a picnic at Christ the King Regional School’s playground, just a few blocks away.
Joining were the Litvinchouk family – Alex, Mary and their young children: Noelle, Natalie, Nolan, Neil, Nylah and Nadia, who enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad and face painting while their parents reflected on the morning.
“We opened people’s eyes today, to the True Presence,” Alex Litvinchouk said, adding that he knows the Eucharist and Catholic faith will help his six children live a fruitful life. “The world can pull us in many different directions, but the Catholic Church grounds us and helps us realize what’s really important.”
Rebecca Petner, a South Jersey native who recently returned home, was present with her mother and brother.
“Seeing the community come together as one, and reflecting on the beauty around us, it’s amazing to see how much God has blessed us,” she said. With the Eucharist, “We’re the best versions of ourselves.”
Jennifer Mauro, managing editor, contributed to this report.
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