BECKLEY – Faithful throughout the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston will take to the streets to kick off the three-year National Eucharistic Revival for the Catholic Church in the United States with regional Eucharistic Processions the weekend of June 18-19. The weekend marks the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a day when Catholics celebrate and honor the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
A Eucharistic Procession is a Catholic tradition that dates back to the 14th Century. Priests carry the Blessed Sacrament in an ornate vessel called a monstrance or ostensorium which is in the form of a cross. Catholic families and organizations follow the priest outside of the church and into the streets as a show of honor and glory for Christ in the Holy Eucharist – communion. There are six vicariates (regions) within the state – Wheeling, Parkersburg, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Charleston, and Beckley. Each will host a Eucharistic Procession as a respectful public act of unity and give gratitude and honor to God. The public is welcome to participate in these reverent events.
Three regional events are planned for Catholics in the Beckley Vicariate. There will be a procession following the 6 p.m. Saturday (June 18) Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, Bluefield. On June 19, processions will be held following the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Francis de Sales Parish, Beckley, and after the 11 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, Princeton.
Traffic patterns near the listed churches may be affected during these times.
The National Eucharistic Revival begins with this Diocesan Year across the country. In June of 2023, the Parish Year will begin and culminate on July 17, 2024, at the National Eucharistic Congress to be held in Indianapolis (July 17-21, 2024), when Catholics of all ages will gather for a conference to send the faithful out with a mission to serve and teach others about the Eucharist and Christ – the life of the World.
