Corpus Christi procession in Oxford

I have copied all the photographs, and added further commentary, from the Oxford Oratory website report of the Corpus Christi procession which took place last Sunday. Once again we were blessed with fine weather for the event, which was revived in 2000 to mark the Jubilee Year. Once again I was a marshal, ensiring the procession kept together - which it did very well; for this task I was vested in a hideous yellow flourescent overjacket...

This year's Corpus Christi Procession saw record numbers attending - this was presumably in response to the Holy Father's call for the Church throughout the world to join with him in Eucharistic adoration that afternoon. 

The Blessed Sacrament was exposed in the Oratory church:

The Procession leaves the Oratory, with Bishop William Kenney, C.P. , the area bishop for this part of the Archdiocese, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, flanked by two deacons from Blackfriars:

 

The canopy bearers are undergraduates wearing the formal academic dress of the University of Oxford.

Moving down St Giles':

 

 

The procession passing Pusey House - as usual there was a graceful ecumenical gesture of Puseyite regulars kneeling to venerate Our Lord  - mind you when I and others were Pusey regulars we used to join in on the procession... and look where that landed us.

The procession was accompanied by the Witney Town Band, who played with great verve - the conductor has adoctorate from Liverpool:

A pause at Blackfriars, where Fr Robert Ombres, O.P. preached about the origins of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi:

 

The procession leaving Blackfriars   -  the Blessed Sacrament is borne by the prior of Blackfriars, Fr John O'Connor O.P.: 

Passing the Ashmolean:

And through the city centre:

 

 

Fr Richard Duffield, C.O., Fr John Baggeley of Corpus Christi Headington, Fr Dominic Jacob, C.O.and Provost Daniel Seward C.O. passing the Oxford Union

 

Oh dear, I'm in the photograph in my marshal's yellow jacket

 

We went along New Inn Hall Street, past St Peter's College:

 

The Blessed Sacrament was now carried by Fr Simon Bishop S.J., the Chaplain to the University:

 

Here we are close to the site of the birthplace of St Nicholas Owen S.J., the builder of priest's hiding places in the late sixteenth century:

 

Passing by the new buildings of Pembroke College and close to the site of the medieval Blackfriars

Approaching the University Chaplaincy:

 

This is a view along Rose Lane, beween Campion Hall and the Chaplaincy:

Benediction at the Chaplaincy:

Following Benediction, given by Bishop Kenney, there were refreshments and a chance to catch up with friends in the Chaplaincy.

After that I and others went off to Headington to a fine dinner party given by one of our friends, and the weather was good enough for fifteen of us to sit around a large table in the garden for a meal featuring duck and pork, and plenty of wine, until it was dark. A good way to round off a splendid day.