THE CITY OF SOLLER CELEBRATES THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI

 By Debra Reynolds our Religious Affairs Correspondent and Resident of Soller

 The Feast of Corpus Christi is also known as the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and it celebrates the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. It is consequently a very important and beautiful celebration in the Catholic Church. I converted to the Catholic Church as a result of this revelation and, as such, this is a particularly important occasion for me personally. Following the Mass, there is often a procession of the Eucharist, or Blessed Sacrament. This is the only time in the year that the Lord, in the Blessed Sacrament, is exposed not just to faithful Catholics but to the world. In this way, Catholics honour the Real Presence of the Lord in a very public way and show their love for their friends and neighbours by bringing the Lord closer to them. It serves to emphasise that the sacrifice of Jesus is for the salvation of the whole world.

 In the Church of Sant Bartomeu in the main square in Soller, Corpus Christi and its procession is a very dignified celebration. At the end of Mass, Father Marià Gastalver, our parish priest, will place the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance, a special vessel in order to carry it and, walking under the protection of a specially decorated canopy and carrying the monstrance at eye-level, he and the Blessed Sacrament will form the focus of the procession. The procession will exit the Church, go into the square and follow a set path around the City. As it goes through the streets, the faithful, who are not walking, should kneel as the Blessed Sacrament passes by. On returning to the Church, the priest will give the Benediction on the Church steps.

 Please do come and either share in or purely observe this very powerful and reverent ceremony. Mass will begin at 6.30 p.m. and the procession will follow.

Debra Reynolds – Your Religious Affairs Correspondent http://www.sollerweb.com/tramuntana.html