When Father John Collins first heard of plans for a two-mile Eucharistic procession through the heart of Pasadena, he was slightly surprised.
“We’re going down Colorado Boulevard?” Collins, pastor of Saints Felicitas and Perpetua Church in San Marino, remembered thinking. “The only thing that ever goes down there is the Rose Parade.”
But unlike the world-famous Rose Parade — where spectators gawk at dozens of spectacles rolling through the middle of the street — this time there was only one focal point: Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
About 2,000 were on hand May 17 to accompany the Eucharist through the streets of Pasadena during a Eucharistic Revival Mass and Procession event that began at St. Philip the Apostle Church, took a brief stop at City Hall, then ended at St. Andrew Church.
The event was held in anticipation of the cross-country National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began the same weekend in Indianapolis and will reach Los Angeles in time for its conclusion on June 22, the day Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).
It began with a 5 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez at St. Philip the Apostle Church, where a standing-room-only crowd of Catholics from at least 10 Pasadena-area parishes forced hundreds more to be re-routed to the church parking lot and to other rooms, where the Mass could be watched on large screens.
Afterward, the procession began with Archbishop Gomez — carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance — at the helm, followed closely by several priests and acolytes.
The procession’s first stop was a benediction station at Pasadena City Hall. Collins was among those waiting for the crowd to arrive.
“It’s really and truly a game-changer in the way we’re giving witness,” said Collins of the event. His parishioners had spent the last three months preparing for it by organizing a prayer novena, watching videos and presentations, and having in-depth discussions about the significance of the Eucharist.
As the procession approached Pasadena City Hall, dozens of bystanders milled about, posing for prom, wedding, graduation, and other special event photos.
Rachel Eligon, who attends St. Finbar Church in Burbank, said she felt deeply moved when the body of Christ passed her on its way out of St. Philip.
“I have felt, at least in the last couple of weeks, this growing yearning for the Eucharist,” she said. “And as the procession was passing by, I literally felt my heart burning.”
Eligon — an artist who designed the official prayer card for the event — said she was happy to see the large crowd in attendance.
“It's just really cool and amazing to see people coming together publicly for the faith, especially in an environment, in a culture, where it’s often not accepted,” she said.
Hundreds of faithful continued to process past gas stations, bus stops, stores, and restaurants. Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta and of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre processed in pairs, as did the Knights of Columbus who formed the procession’s honor guard.
Among those navigating the sidewalks were adults of all ages — some pulling children in wagons, others pushing the elderly in wheelchairs.
Roberto Chavez, of St. Therese Church in Alhambra, carefully guided his six kids and a wagon. He saw the event as an opportunity to transmit faith to them — and to onlookers who aren’t necessarily looking for him.
“We are introducing Jesus, through the Eucharist, to those who still don’t know him,” he said.
A few feet away, Sandra Fernandez and her daughter Giselle — who is visually impaired — were also making the trek.
Fernandez, who attends both St. Philip and St. Therese, said that although she’d taken part in similar processions many times in her native El Salvador, this was her first time participating in the United States.
She said she did it to “give honor and respect” to Jesus by following him through town.
“We feel incredibly blessed and honored to walk behind Jesus throughout the streets of Pasadena,” Giselle said, using a cane to help her navigate the sidewalk. “I feel so happy.”
Walking behind signs and banners emblazoned with their parish names, some participants sang songs and hymns in various languages, while others prayed the rosary aloud.
A contingent from St. Therese carried single-stemmed pink roses in honor of the 100th anniversary of the canonization of their parish namesake, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as “The Little Flower.”
Friends Oscar Amaya and Juan Pablo Gonzalez, surrounded by hundreds of walkers on all sides, said they were surprised but excited to see so many people — especially youth — attend.
Amaya, a parishioner at St. John the Baptist Church in Baldwin Park, said public events like these are important because they can help teach people about the Catholic faith and the Eucharist.
Amaya said he shared information about the event on social media as a way to evangelize to his friends and family.
“I feel like not enough people know about the Eucharist and its importance and how we all can partake in the Church through the Eucharist,” he said. “Especially young people.”
At the benediction stop in front of Pasadena City Hall, the monstrance was placed on a table adorned with candles on the front steps. Participants sang and prayed the Litany of Trust before making their way toward their second and final stop: a final benediction at St. Andrew Church.
As the crowd reached the street corner outside the church, children who’d recently made their first Communion scattered red rose petals on the ground to receive and welcome the body of Jesus.
Curt Foxx, a teacher at St. Andrew Catholic School in Pasadena, said he was there to strengthen his own faith while also evangelizing to the public.
“I think it’s important that we’re not only connecting with our faith, but that other people are seeing us represent our faith,” he said.
Editor-in-chief Pablo Kay also contributed to this story.
