At St. Mary's, Woodside

Feast of Corpus Christi Celebrated

By Stefanie Gutierrez

In celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Queens parish held their First Annual Corpus Christi Weekend. The 48-hour perpetual adoration and observance began on Friday, June 8, with an 8:30 a.m. Mass held at Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, Woodside.

Parishioners, as well as people from six other parishes, took Holy Hours for the weekend. Adorers came from St. Sebastian, Woodside; St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights; Queen of Angels, Sunnyside; St. Gabriel, East Elmhurst; Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Forest Hills; and Holy Child Jesus, Richmond Hill.

Stefanie Gutierrez Photos 

FLOWER GIRLS in yellow and white led the Corpus Christi procession at Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, Woodside, last Sunday, June 10, part of the parish’s first annual

Corpus Christi Weekend.

Miledys Marte, a parishioner at Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, organized the weekend. She is an 18-year member of Lumen Dei, a ministry that was begun in 1968 by Jesuit priest Rodrigo Molina. Their mission, she explained, “is to save souls, especially the poor, through Lumen Dei schools, shelter and hospitals.” The ministry is based in the Blessed Sacrament, “because if we do not have Christ’s presence then our mission cannot be complete.” As a member of Lumen Dei and volunteer worker, she began organizing adoration at her parish 12 years ago with the help of her husband, Rafael.

Another couple who are members of Lumen Dei and parishioners at Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, Teresa and Pedro Diaz, took many of the nighttime hours over the weekend. People who participated in the weekend later said “thank you” for the weekend, “because they have been reminded how important adoration is. Many left the weekend with peace,” Marte said. “We want people to know the graces and all the things that Jesus has done to change our heart and our lives. The parish gets better with adoration. We have to center ourselves on the Blessed Sacrament if we want to be a strong parish.”

PARISH USHERS escort newly ordained Deacon Leopoldo Montes, as he carries the monstrance holding the exposed Eucharist, during the parish’s Corpus Christi procession, part of a weekend celebration last Sunday in Woodside.

She added, “Corpus Christi is a special feast for the Church, and we receive graces from Jesus the whole year.

So this weekend, because He has been with us every

single day, we want to do something special for Him.”

The feast, a celebration of Christ’s body and blood, ended with a Eucharistic procession after the 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 10. Celebrated by Father Noel Moynihan, C.S.S.p., his homily focused on the healing that comes from Christ’s presence. “There are many kinds of hungers that we all experience, but the healing He provides is part of the Blessed Sacrament,” he said.

Six children led the procession, serving as flower girls. They dressed in yellow and white, the colors of the Eucharist. About 100 people processed behind the monstrance.

Marte will have the Corpus Christi Weekend again, she said. “I see that we need to learn the importance of being in front of the Blessed Sacrament when we have Jesus exposed.” Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, located at 70-30 47th Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. and on Fridays, 9 a.m. -12 a.m.

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