Corpus Christi celebrations

Jun 15, 2024

KL South District
The Kuala Lumpur South District parishes celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi with Mass and Eucharistic procession on Saturday, June 1. The South District parishes are the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Church of St Francis of Assisi and the Church of the Holy Family, which hosted the celebration.

The skies opened up late afternoon with a heavy downpour but it did not deter more than a thousand faithful from gathering at the Church of the Holy Family to express their unity in faith, they included delegates from the Chinese language Legion of Mary members from Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Taiwan who were in Kajang for a four-day retreat. The evening’s celebration started with a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an apt devotion as the month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart.

Msgr Stanislaus Soosaimariam, parish priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presided over Mass and welcomed parishioners, visitors and guests to the first south district Corpus Christi celebration. He reminded the congregation that the Feast of Corpus Christi was also a celebration of the summit of our faith and life in the Eucharist. The Mass was concelebrated by the priests of the parishes; Fr Paul Cheong OFM Cap of St Francis of Assisi and the priests of Holy Family Kajang, Fr Michael Chua, Fr Philip Chua and Fr Bonaventure Rayappan, the latter also being the senator of the district.

The readings were proclaimed in Tamil and Mandarin and the responsorial psalm was chanted in Bahasa. Fr Michael read the Gospel and delivered the sermon in English and Bahasa, Fr Bonaventure delivered the sermon in Tamil while Fr Philip delivered the sermon in Mandarin.

The sermons focused on the feast of Corpus Christi, which emphasises biblical concepts of sacrifice and covenant. Fr Michael preached that sacrifice involves an internal offering to God, shown through an external sign, reflecting true commitment, which signifies the importance of the solemn procession for the feast.

“In Jewish tradition, blood sacrifices atoned for sins, acknowledging human sinfulness. However, animal sacrifices were insufficient, pointing to the need for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. His death, described in Hebrews, purifies us more effectively than animal sacrifices, fulfilling Old Testament covenants.

The Eucharist symbolises the new covenant, demanding full adherence to Christ’s teachings. This challenges “cafeteria Catholics” who selectively follow Church doctrines. True faith requires complete observance of Church teachings and sacraments, embracing the full spiritual nourishment offered by Christ.”

Following the concluding rites and with the rain stopping, church goers were swiftly guided by the hospitality ministers towards the entrance of the church where the 2km Corpus Christi procession commenced. The solemn procession was led by altar servers ringing the altar bells, followed by the monstrance, placed on a float. Against the cool and relative quiet of the night, the procession was held in silent prayer and Kajang town was momentarily bathed in a sea of candle light. At each benediction point, the crowd knelt while flower girls scattered flower petals at the Eucharist.

Upon returning to church, the procession ended with the adoration to the Blessed Sacrament and singing of the Divine Praises. With the official program for the day ended, the congregation was treated to light refreshments and community fellowship.

Fr Bonaventure, on behalf of the priests, expressed their gratitude for the coordination, untiring dedication and sacrifices by the organising committee and volunteers from all three parishes, in making this first district level Corpus Christi celebration a reverent and memorable celebration which deepens and intensifies love for the Eucharist.

KL Central District
United in Christ (Eph 4:4-6) was the theme of the Corpus Christi celebration organised by the parishes in the KL Central district.

From 8.00am - 6.00pm on June 2, Masses in English, Tamil, BM, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Myanmar were celebrated at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist. The celebration was animated by the four parishes — Church of Our Lady of Fatima, Church of the Holy Rosary, Church of St Anthony and the Cathedral.

Parishioners from the district were encouraged to join in the celebration held at the Cathedral. There was only one Mass in the morning held at the other three parishes to cater for those unable to participate in the celebration at the cathedral.