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Corpus Christi at St. Mary’s George, South Africa

In a profound display of unity, faith, and reverence for the Holy Eucharist, the fifteen parishes of the Southern Deanery of the Diocese of Oudtshoorn gathered at St. Mary’s Church on Sunday, June 22, 2025, to celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi with a deeply moving Eucharistic procession and Holy Mass, presided over by His Lordship, Bishop Noel Rucastle

The celebration drew a large and devout congregation from across the deanery, filling the church and its premises. The event began with a Eucharistic procession which flowed reverently through the church grounds and nearby streets with faithful carrying banners of different sodalities and singing hymns. Thirty altar servers lead the procession. Children in white garments scattered flower petals before the Blessed Sacrament, which was carried beneath a canopy by the priests and the Bishop. Along the route, three altars were set up by different sodalities and the prayers at the three altars were dedicated to the three prominent languages of the Western Cape (Afrikaans, XiKhosa and English), where Benediction was given. Solemn Holy Mass followed the Eucharistic procession, during which the  Bishop delivered a powerful homily on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the call for all Catholics to become living tabernacles of Christ’s love in the world.                                          

This year’s Corpus Christi celebration at St. Mary’s was more than just a liturgical event, it was a vibrant testimony to the living faith of the Southern Deanery and a beautiful witness of the Church going forth with Christ at the center.