• Over 150 parishioners joined St. Mark’s Parish’s Corpus Christi procession on June 22, 2025
  • Fr. Jan Kołodyński presided in place of Pastor Fr. Tadeusz (Tad) Walczyk, joined by Deacons Gordon Lee and Wayne McCulloch.
  • The procession followed a marked route through the local neighbourhood with four altars and Scripture readings.
  • Ministries, altar servers, and the Knights of Columbus participated in full regalia.
  • Hymns, incense, flower petals, and community prayer marked the celebration of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist

 

St. Mark’s Parish brought faith into the streets on Sunday with its annual Corpus Christi procession, a centuries-old Catholic tradition celebrating the Blessed Sacrament.

Between 150 and 200 parishioners took part in this year’s procession, held on the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Latin phrase for the Body of Christ. As the parish’s permanent pastor, Fr. Tadeusz Walczyk, was away, Fr. Jan Kołodyński presided over the event. He was joined by Deacon Gordon Lee and Deacon Wayne McCulloch, with full support from the church’s liturgical and service ministries.

The route began on the front steps of Saint Mark’s and moved north on Glad Park Avenue, then west on Millard Street, south on West Lawn Crescent, east on Elm Road, and finally north on Glad Park Avenue, returning to the church grounds. Four altars were placed along the route, each marking a station where the Gospel was read along with prayers and chants from the faithful.

Throughout the walk, the monstrance, a sacred vessel containing the consecrated Host, was carried in turn by Fr. Kołodyński, Deacon Wayne McCulloch, and Deacon Gordon Lee, with Fr. Kołodyński returning it to the church. This rotation of clergy underscored the solemnity of the occasion and led the faithful in a public display of reverence. Parishioners scattered flower petals ahead of the Blessed Sacrament as a gesture of devotion, while incense, hymns, and communal prayers filled the air.

All the ministries of the parish were represented: Eucharistic ministers, the choir, ushers, youth groups, and the Knights of Columbus, who stood out in full regalia, sashes, and ceremonial swords.

For many, the procession served not just as a liturgical event, but a meaningful expression of faith and unity. It also mirrored global traditions, as cities and villages across Europe and South America often hold Corpus Christi processions that feature massive, historic parades with widespread community involvement.

While Saint Mark’s procession may have been more modest in scale, the message remains the same: for Catholics, Christ is present in the community.

Cover image property of and used with permission from Michael Dave Dizon