Rain holds off for Cork's 98th Eucharistic Procession as devout tradition continues

This afternoon in Cork City the 98th eucharistic procession wound its way from the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne in Blackpool to the Church of St’s Peter and Paul on Paul St while the heavens threatened a cloud burst.

Most of the participants were safely within the church by the time the rain began, so that prayer was answered.

As the Catholic Church celebrated its foundation, at the head of the procession were flag bearers from the Scouts of Europe, a new organisation in the city.

The Blarney Brass and Reed Band didn’t let the threat of rain dampen their spirits and the Corpus Christi Choir, a coalition of choristers from around the city’s churches under the direction of Carmel Ormonde, were in fine voice with angelic renditions of ‘How Great Thou Art’ and other beloved hymns. 

Rosary

Fr Damien O’Mahony’s commentary was interspersed with decades of the Rosary and beamed to a giant screen at the corner of Paul Street and St Patrick’s Street.

“I heard the priest talk about it this morning,” said Mary Murphy, of Glasheen, when asked why she was there. Three men said they were there because of their faith, while Kevin Foley was in a car crash near Goleen a number of years ago and said:

“I got a warning, I suppose, and I’m coming here since.”

In the church, the choir was still singing and there were some musical intermissions as Bishop Fintan Gavin, walking under a ceremonial canopy, made his way to the pilgrimage’s final destination. He was preceded into the church by Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy, and a number of his fellow councillors, as well as Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould.

Homily

In his homily, Bishop Gavin spoke about a young Italian teenager, Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, aged 15, and who last week became the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, when a second miracle attributed to his intercessions was approved by His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Dr Gavin appealed to young people to get more involved in Church life and invited them to attend a barbecue on June 6.

The ceremonies ended with a rendition of ‘Faith of our Fathers’.

Outside the church, Dr Gavin’s predecessor as Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, expressed his delight at the turnout for the celebration.

“I hope with all these prayers, Cork qualifies,” he said of the hurling. Those prayers were answered not too long afterwards.