Like Easter, Corpus Christi is a moveable feast. It’s
celebrated the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which this year
was June 4. Most parishes push the celebration to the
following Sunday.
To accommodate their students, St. Timothy School in
Chantilly celebrated the feast June 5. Students from the
school, with the help of Amy Powers, a parent and artist,
created two murals from flower petals on the sidewalk from
the church to the school. One was an image of Jesus, the
other a cross with a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit.
The students started work on the mural at 6:30 a.m. It was
covered by a tent to protect it from the rain and cool
temperatures. At around the same time, there was a power
outage at the parish complex that darkened the school and
church.
Melissa George, daughter Kayla and others were praying the
Memorare to restore the power when Kayla said the lilac
petals that formed the beard and hair of Jesus turned from
purple to brown.
They told parochial vicar Father Stefan Starzynski about what
they saw. The news spread quickly, with people coming to look
at the mural and take photos.
When pastor Father Gerald Weymes finished 9 a.m. Mass, he
placed the sacred host in the lunette of the monstrance and
processed up the aisle on his way to adoration in the school.
Father Weymes held the monstrance for all to see, and walked
past the mural with the brown beard and hair.
Was it just the rain and humidity leaching the color out of
plucked petals? One thing is for sure, it was a blessing the
students and parents can share for some time.
