'Unity call' to new faith groups ahead of Eucharistic procession

The Bishop of Cork and Ross issued a special invitation to the communities, along with primary and secondary schools, to be part of the celebration which dates back to 1926

Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, at the launch of the 98th Cork Eucharistic Procession which takes place on Sunday, May 26 at 3pm, in Cork city centre.

The Bishop of Cork and Ross has encouraged more face-to-face meetings and integration with the new Irish and members of new faith communities, rather than buying into labels or stereotypes.

Bishop Fintan Gavin made the comment as he issued a "unity call" for the city’s famous Eucharistic procession at the end of the month.

The theme of this year’s procession on May 26 will be "unity — bringing people together", he said.

“You cannot have the word ‘community’ without ‘unity’,” he said.

“This year’s Eucharistic procession will celebrate the unity in faith that abounds in Cork, as well as the need to foster further unity in an increasingly complex world.” 

He said Brazilians have now replaced Poles as the largest new faith community in Cork, followed closely by Indians, many of whom are members of the Syro-Malabar Church — which organised a retreat in Wilton last week attended by almost 1,000 people — and Ukrainians, who attend Mass in the Eastern Catholic Rite in the Ukrainian language every Sunday in the Church of the Incarnation in Grange/Frankfield.

He issued a special invitation to those new faith communities, along with primary and secondary schools, to be part of the celebration.

The Eucharistic procession, to mark the feast of Corpus Christi, has been a significant part of the city’s religious heritage for almost a century.

The annual Eucharistic procession passing through Patrick St, Cork,  in 1928. The first procession to mark the feast of Corpus Christi was held in 1926.

The first procession took place in 1926 under the auspices of Bishop Colahan. It was established as part of wider efforts to close rifts and facilitate healing in a city, which was deeply divided in the aftermath of the War of Independence and Civil War.

It grew to become the largest Eucharistic procession in the country, with tens of thousands of people walking annually from their parish churches to the city centre for Benediction on Daunt Square.

However, against the backdrop of a fall-off in church attendance and a near collapse in vocations, attendance at the procession dwindled in recent years to just a few hundred faithful, before covid brought a halt to the event.

Last year, Bishop Gavin embarked on a mission to rejuvenate and reimagine the event ahead of its centenary in 2026.

He said he was blown away by the response when some 4,000 people processed from the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne through the streets to attend Benediction at Sts Peter and Paul’s Church on Paul St, where he delivered the sermon at his first Eucharistic procession since his appointment as bishop in 2019.

This year’s procession will begin at the cathedral at 3pm and proceed via Roman St, Christy Ring Bridge, on to Academy St and St Patrick’s St, to Sts Peter and Paul's Church on Paul St.

Bishop Gavin was joined at the launch by, from left: Avin Botan, Summer Galvin, Maja Sniadek, Patrick Roche Sheehan, Ben O'Connor, Daniel Gimenez, and Guadalupe Fidalgo, seated. Picture: Brian Lougheed

Large screens will be positioned at two locations outside the church to relay the ceremony to those who can’t be accommodated inside.

“Last year's procession was my first as Bishop of Cork and Ross,” Bishop Gavin said.

“It was very gratifying to see the huge numbers walking, playing a prayerful part in the walk and the celebration in Ss Peter and Paul's.

The Eucharistic procession holds deep-rooted significance for families and communities in Cork, which spans generations of faithful participants

“Now, with new communities that have embraced Cork as their home, we have an opportunity to strengthen and celebrate our collective faith, while honouring our heritage.

“It is this unity in faith that will once again take centre stage in this year's procession, as we look forward to commemorating and celebrating its centennial milestone in two years’ time.” 

Members of the Syro-Malabar (India) Catholic Church Community taking part in the Eucharistic  procession on St Patrick's St, Cork, in 2023. Picture: Larry Cummins

Bishop Gavin has also begun hosting a series of informal dinners with the priests of the diocese — describing them as “fraternal gatherings”, rather than work-related events — to discuss a range of different topics which affect their lives.

“I wanted to provide an opportunity for the priests to gather, to sit and relax, and to discuss what’s going on in their lives today,” he said.

We are going through a process of change in the diocese and there are a lot of demands on priests

“It could be sitting with families in often tragic or traumatic circumstances, attending funerals, and then attending communions or confirmations, often on the same day.

“Hopefully, the changing culture and model of ministry, and the restructuring of the families of parishes, will allow our priests to take a day off in the week.”