Yesterday was the Corpus Christi Procession here in Oxford and this is the account on the Oxford Oratory website, to which I have added a few extra words of commentary:
O Sacrament Most Holy!
Many hundreds braved the sweltering heat yesterday to walk through the streets of Oxford with our Eucharistic Lord. For the first time we were able to close streets to traffic along the way, by the courtesy of Oxford City Council, and this made for a smooth procession and an excellent witness.
The Blessed Sacrament is exposed:
The Blessed Sacrament is taken from the Oratory:
Parishioners'gardens provided petals to strew along the Processional route:
The Procession heads along St Giles':
The canopy bearers were from the Conventual Franciscans house in Oxford
The Witney Town Band performed valiantly and rousingly a selection of marches and hymns to the Blessed Sacrament:
At Blackfriars, where Fr Robert Ombres O.P. preached:
The Gospel is read:
The Procession leaving Blackfriars:
This year the Procession was, as the website mentions, very effecively re-routed round the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene's church and past the Oxford Martyrs Memorial, erected to commemorate Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley in 1841 as a riposte to the Oxford Movement... :
Archbishop Cranmer doesn't appear to approve. The Clever Boy will add that in 1555 Cranmer, together with Latimer and Ridley, were brought out from their prison to watch the Corpus Christi Procession that year and definitely did not approve - one of the bishops dived into a shop doorway to avoid the spectacle... :
In Magdalen Street:
The corner of Balliol is the site of the Catherine Wheel Inn where the four Oxford Catholic Martyrs of 1589 were arrested:
St Michael's Street, passing the Oxford Union:
New Inn Hall Street:
St Ebbe's:
Benediction was given in the Newman Rooms at the University Chaplaincy:
Fr Daniel gives Benediction:
At last, tea!
Images: Oxford Oratory website
As always this was a splendid witness to our belief in the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lord's Presence amongst us, and I was delighted once again to be a participant.
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