By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
NEW HOPE – The Meyer triplets of St. Martin of Tours Parish in New Hope, Bucks County, are among approximately 500 first communicants from across the Archdiocese scheduled to participate in the Corpus Christi Mass and procession at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 6, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Bucks County.
The Cardinal has asked children who received their first holy Communion this year to attend the annual celebration, where he will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist.
Weather permitting, a half-mile outdoor procession with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament will follow on the grounds of the shrine, located at 654 Ferry Road.
Eight-year-olds Stephen, Robert and Alexander Meyer, second-graders at St. Martin of Tours School, made reconciliation Jan. 30 and received first holy Communion April 18 at St. Martin of Tours Church.
“It was awesome,” Robert said. “I feel older.”
Knowing that Jesus forgives sins is reassuring to Robert, who also realizes why it is important to be a good boy. “You shouldn’t be bad because you’re hurting God’s heart, but He’ll forgive you anyway.”
“Happy” was Alex’s assessment of how he felt on his first Communion day.
According to Alex, there are many ways to be a good Catholic boy. For starters, going to church and Catholic school “helps me a lot,” he said.
“Behave good in class,” he added. “If you have brothers, don’t hurt them. Always be respectful to parents and teachers.”
And to the principal and priest, said Stevie.
Receiving the Eucharist for the first time means “you get closer to Jesus, and Jesus’ friendship gets bigger with you,” Stevie said.
Jesus means so much to Stevie because “He saved us from sin, on the cross.”
The archdiocesan Office for Special Projects, under the direction of Father Zachary W. Navit, is coordinating the Corpus Christi Mass and Procession at Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Seating in the upper and lower levels of the shrine and other areas will be on a first come, first served basis. Every attempt will be made to seat family members together, or in the same general location.
The upper and lower levels of the shrine, combined, seat approximately 3,000 people.
If the shrine is filled to capacity, additional seating will be available outdoors, weather permitting.
A live audio and video feed will be provided outdoors as well as in certain areas inside the shrine. Those unable to walk in the procession will be permitted to remain inside the shrine and participate in some aspects through the audio and video feeds.
Ample parking is available on the shrine grounds.
Seating inside the shrine will begin after the conclusion of the regularly scheduled 12:30 p.m. Mass.
For more information about the Corpus Christi Mass and Procession, contact the archdiocesan Office for Special Projects at 215-587-3519.
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at 215-587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.
Share this story