Processions for Our Lord

Each year the joy of the Easter and Pentecost season is extended for us Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa by both the monthly devotions and the great Feasts which the Church offers us in June and July. The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is honored in the month of June, and in July we honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. Within these two months are many great Feasts, but our Community especially loves Corpus Christi.

How do we specially adore and magnify our risen and ascended Lord and Spouse in this time after Pentecost? With Eucharistic Processions, of course! Our Sisters were overjoyed to participate in five separate Eucharistic processions last month.

On June 6th the whole Community attended the opening Mass and Eucharistic Procession for the first ever Camino de California! After Mass at St. Francis Solano Parish with Bishop Vasa, we processed through downtown Sonoma to Mission St. Francis Solano. This Mission is no longer in use by the Church, but for a few minutes Our Lord was welcomed back and we were graciously given some time to adore His Eucharistic Presence in the Mission Church. The Sisters are so grateful to have had this opportunity! From the Mission, the procession continued along a popular Sonoma walking path. It took us right past the Parish school’s “Last Day of School” party at a park. We were so moved when all of the children stopped their games and knelt in adoration. Jesus blessed them from His monstrance throne.

On the morning of Corpus Christi Thursday we were able to have a Missa Cantata in our Convent Chapel and a procession around the Convent grounds. The novices prepared a beautiful benediction altar along the route, including a flower petal and bark carpet to welcome our Lord! ​

That same evening some of the Sisters were able to attend our Diocese’s annual Eucharistic Procession between St. Rose of Lima parish and the Cathedral of St. Eugene here in Santa Rosa.

Finally, on Corpus Christi Sunday we set up another benediction altar, and after Mass with our Bishop at the Cathedral, processed around the Cathedral grounds. A little flock of First Communicants also processed with us, wearing their lovely dresses and handsome suits and ringing little bells with glee!

A few of our Sisters went further North and attended Corpus Christi at the Church of the Assumption in Ferndale. Father carried our Eucharistic Lord in a loving little procession around the Church as the congregation accompanied Him with song.

Each Procession was an opportunity to magnify Jesus in union with our Blessed Mother. So many people along each route stopped to wonder at the beauty, reverence, and love with which our Lord was accompanied by His clergy, religious, and the faithful.

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O Sacrament Most Holy! O Sacrament Divine!
​All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!