Corpus Christi Sunday - June 10, 2007

Where people are oppressed,
the Eucharist speaks of freedom.

Where Christians are imprisoned for their faith, the bread and the wine become Christ, the cornerstone.

Where the Church feels its resources limited, the Body of Christ proclaims that God's love has no limits.

Where discrimination divides us,
the Blood of Christ unites.

Where politics, war, poverty, and status isolate us,
the Eucharist draws us near to one another.

(Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ,
Liturgy by Diana Macalintal)

On June 10, 2007, over 300 Catholics gathered at City Hall and the Cathedral Gardens as part of a prayer and procession to recognize the enduring contribution of the immigrant, new and old, in building up the Body of Christ, the Church. Christ the King parish began their procession following the 10 am Mass and passed by Homeland Security where they left flowers and offered prayers of lamentation for those who have been separated from family members. They were joined at City Hall by similar processions from Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Patrick parishes and the Cathedral. After prayers and testimony, the group processed together to the Cathedral Gardens where they were met by Bishop McGrath for closing prayers and reflection.

The day concluded with a Congressional Briefing by Kevin Appleby, Policy Director at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. who urged the group not to give up and to continue the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform.

The processions and prayers in San Jose were accompanied by similar processions in Dioceses throughout the state in which the California bishops encouraged all pastors to use the occasion of the feast of Corpus Christi to reflect on the struggle of immigrants, pray for a just reform, and urge parishioners to take some action.