Tourists strolling by the White House in Washington paused in wonder as 700 people dressed in their Sunday best processed down H Street Northwest. Some pulled out their phones to snap a photo, while others made the sign of the cross, all while members of the procession prayed the rosary and sang hymns.
The Catholic Information Center held its first Eucharistic procession in Washington May 20. The procession began at the CIC on K Street and proceeded in a loop nearly a mile long, passing by Farragut Square, Lafayette Square, the Department of Veterans Affairs and McPherson Square. At three altars stationed along the route, the priests used incense to bless the Eucharist, proclaimed the Gospel, gave a short homily and blessed the people during Benediction.
With the closest tabernacle to the White House, the CIC provides ready access to the sacraments for Catholics who work or live in Washington. “We are often where downtown DC professionals come for their daily Mass during their work week lunch breaks, and then it’s back home to their home parishes on weekends,” said CIC Development Associate Angelica Tom. “We’re basically their parish during the workday.”
Father Charles Trullols, CIC director, said that the Eucharistic revival launched by the U.S. bishops last year inspired him to hold a Eucharistic procession. He recalled that when he was a child in Spain and when he studied in Rome as a seminarian, Eucharistic processions were common, and he wanted the CIC to adopt this tradition.
The goal of the procession was “to bring Christ to the streets of this nation’s capital and to pray for our nation,” Father Trullols said. Since May is the month of Mary, he added that this is a particularly appropriate time to celebrate a Eucharistic procession.
The procession began with 9:30 a.m. Mass at the CIC, with Father Diego Daza, chaplain at the Heights School in Potomac, Md. as master of ceremonies; Father Trullols; Father Javier del Castillo, U.S. vicar of the Prelature of Opus Dei; Father Charlie Gallagher, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Washington; and Msgr. Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter – St. Cyprian Catholic Church as concelebrants. In his homily, Father Trullols referenced a speech from Pope Benedict XVI, reminding the faithful that when Mary traveled to visit Elizabeth, she acted as “a living tabernacle,” and carried out the first Eucharisitic procession.
CIC Events and Communications Coordinator Mary Warren said preparations for the procession began last year. “When Jesus was on any of the altars and everyone was on their knees and the children were in front, I thought, ‘This is what the church looks like,’ ” she said. With so many tourists passing by the procession, she said she was praying for miracles.
Multiple religious orders led the procession, including sisters from Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, Missionaries of Charity, Discalced Carmelites and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. Little Worker of the Sacred Heart Sister Deirdre Byrne, a former parishioner of St. Luke Church in McClean also participated in the procession of the faithful. Children who recently made their first Holy Communion wore their gowns and suits and walked in front of the canopy, scattering rose petals before the Eucharist. Members of the volunteer choir sang hymns at each altar and led the procession in praying the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Erin Getz, a parishioner of St. Agnes Church in Arlington, said that the procession was an experience she wouldn’t soon forget. “I truly felt that the Eucharistic procession poured out abundant graces in our nation’s capital, where it is needed most,” Getz said. “It was very encouraging to see tourists stop and watch in wonder, and even a few joining in prayer while they saw Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and hundreds of faithful Catholics interceding for our country through the streets of downtown DC.”
People throughout the Arlington diocese, the Washington metro area and elsewhere attended. The CIC estimated that the crowd consisted of 40 percent from Virginia, 35 percent from Washington and the remainder from Maryland, California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Ohio and Arizona. Multiple altar servers attended from St. John the Beloved Church in McClean.
Discalced Carmelite Sister Agnes Marie of the Eternal High Priest attended the procession as an extern for the order. After 20 years serving in a cloistered convent, she said she noticed the spiritual impact of the procession in the city. “There’s a lot of darkness in the city, and just to see this light to go out to the city both in the Eucharist and these joyful people — it’s radiating, even if people don’t realize it.”
