The Tagaste community celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi this year on Sunday, May 25, with an outdoor Eucharistic procession following the 10:30 AM Mass. The day was clear and sunny. Some 100 people including many of the children who had recently made First Holy Communion and members of the Sacred Heart youth group were present for the bilingual service. Four altars or "stations"—which is the traditional number for the Corpus Christi procession—were set up and decorated by the Hispanic community and the Guild. The altars were "dedicated" respectively to vocations, youth, peace, and the elderly & infirm. Each altar was decorated by a different group with basics including a white cloth covering and candles. Many flowers were present around the altars.
Fr. Ramón Gaitan presided, assisted by Dn. Juan José Guzman and Jorge Mateos, who led the singing accompanied by musicians from the Hispanic choir. Br. George Valdivia served as acolyte. The altars were located respectively by the main entrance of the Monastery; in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary by the front wall; at the entrance to the wooded area behind the Monastery; and on the lower parking lot. The procession, accompanied by the people, moved from one altar to the next with prayers, readings from Scripture, and accounts of Eucharistic miracles recited at each altar. Hymns were sung throughout the procession. The final blessing with the Blessed Sacrament was given at the fourth station.
All agreed that the ceremony was an inspirational event, and many expressed the hope that it would become an annual event. Corpus Christi is a long-standing liturgical feast in the Church going back over 700 years, and represents the devotion of Catholics to the Blessed Sacrament.
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