Feast of Corpus Christi

Speaking of the Miracle of Bolsena, it is said that Pope Urban IV was prompted by this miracle to issue a papal bull establishing the Feast of Corpus Christi, a day to celebrate the Eucharist. It just so happens that this year the feast fell on June 7, the day we were in Orvieto! I wish I would have known at the time; I would have been even more in awe with the Duomo.

For centuries, the Feast of Corpus Christi (or Corpus Domini as it is known here in Italy) was celebrated with a Eucharistic procession accompanied by hymns and litanies. The faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as the procession passed by. This practice has mostly fallen away, but it seems they still do it here in Naples. I wasn’t aware this year, but next year I would love to see it!

Aversa, Italy