MANILA — Two religious events will unfold at the Sta. Cruz Church in Manila on Sunday, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) announced on Friday.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will lead the faithful in the declaration of the Sta. Cruz Church as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and the celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).
In line with the preparation for the declaration of Sta. Cruz Church as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, the parish began last Thursday the holding of the Triduum Mass, to be followed by a Solemn Vesper. It will be held until June 3.
According to the archdiocese’s website, www.rcam.org, the elevation of a parish into a Diocesan Shrine or Archdiocesan Shrine is reserved to the Bishop of the diocese.
For a parish church to be elevated, it must be above other churches when it comes to worship, Christian formation and social services.
When all the demands are met, the priests together with the parish council, parishioners and frequent churchgoers should petition the bishop to canonically elevate the church into a Diocesan Shrine.
Meanwhile, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist by Jesus Christ to His disciples during the Last Supper. It follows the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.
Tagle will celebrate the Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at 3 p.m.
The celebration will be highlighted with the procession from the Sta. Cruz Parish to the Manila Cathedral at 4 p.m.
The preceding activities on that day will start with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a talk on “Eukaristiya: Biyayang Kaloob sa Paglilingkod” by Bishop Sofronio Bancud of the Diocese of Cabanatuan. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
