A record number of parishioners gathered in Punchbowl in Sydney’s west for a Eucharistic procession and Mass in Punchbowl in celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi on Thursday evening 19 June.
Despite the chilly weather, an estimated 2000 worshippers from Maronite, Melkite and Roman Catholic Churches gathered to process from St Charbel’s Maronite Parish to St Jerome’s Catholic Church to adore and venerate the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Organiser Norman Bejjani said the event produced some “incredibly touching moments.”
“Processing from St Charbel’s to St Jerome’s means we have to walk down Punchbowl Road, and that can cause some headaches,” he said.
“But as we processed, we were seeing people who weren’t from our parishes, who weren’t involved in the event, come out of their homes or their cars to kneel in front of the Eucharist. It was amazing to witness these small moments of worship and respect.”
Young performers from the drums and pipes band at St John the Beloved Melkite church contributed to the procession, with parishioners singing hymns and reciting the Rosary and litanies.
Bejjani said the procession was a validation of Christ’s influence throughout the community and the world at large.
“The procession is an amazing public display of faith, and something that we always look forward to on the calendar,” he said.
“Having what is a really intimate and close to home event just adds to the occasion and just shows our devotion to Christ and the Eucharist.
“In the first year, we had maybe 300, 400 people involved and marching,” he said.
“To have around 2000, maybe more, is a testament to the fact that Jesus is everywhere, and by coming together and publicly displaying our faith, hopefully we are contributing to a growth in our faith.”
For Patrick Semaan, a parishioner at St Charbel’s, the procession allowed him to both worship the Real Presence of Christ and to evangelise.
“When I process, I want to be with our Lord and Saviour, and I want to be a witness to his Body and Blood,” he said.
“At the same time, I had the opportunity to engage with bystanders and people who were watching our procession in awe and speak to them about the Real Presence. I can categorically say that this event speaks to our community’s ability to bear witness to Christ.”
The record number of parishioners seen at Punchbowl is part of a resurgence of faith worldwide, with Sunday’s Walk of Christ procession in the Sydney CBD drawing in an estimated 20,000 Catholics, and countries such as the United States recording an increased number of baptisms in the country this year.
Bejjani believes the only way is up.
“As Catholics, we have to set the stage and show our faith in public to help bring people outside of the faith in,” he said.
“With the growth of numbers that we’re seeing every year, we can only continue to grow, and continue to show our love for Christ.”