One day, two feasts

MIAMI � Archbishop Thomas Wenski gathered with hundreds of parishioners from Corpus Christi Parish and its five missions June 26 to celebrate a Mass in honor of the feast as well as the 70th anniversary of the parish that bears its name.

Also known as the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of Corpus Christi is a celebration of the Eucharist consecrated at each Mass.

�Today, God continues to feed his people. Jesus gives us his own body and blood so that we can have life,� said Archbishop Wenski during his homily.

Corpus Christi Parish was founded in 1941 in Miami�s Wynwood neighborhood, now known as the Art District. Following the influx of Cuban refugees to Miami in the 1960s, and Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and South Americans in subsequent decades, the parishioners of Corpus Christi have responded by increasing evangelization efforts and opening five missions in the area to better serve the people.

The missions of Corpus Christi include: St. Robert Bellarmine, 3405 N.W. 27 Ave.; Nuestra Se�ora de la Altagracia, 1779 N.W. 28 St.; La Milagrosa, 1860 N.W. 18 Terrace;  St. Francis and St. Claire, 402 N.E. 29 St.; and St. John the Baptist, 3116 N.W. Second Ave.

Mass was not celebrated at any of the missions this Sunday. Instead the community was asked to make every effort to attend the special Mass celebrated in the main church by Archbishop Wenski.

Father Jos� Luis Men�ndez, pastor, also took the opportunity to present the archbishop with the pastoral plan for the year 2011�2012 as well as introduce the different councils of the parish to him.

At the end of the Mass, Father Men�ndez thanked the archbishop for celebrating the Mass and invited him to make a return visit in the fall.

�Having the archbishop here today is important to us as members of the community, especially on a day like today, the feast of Corpus Christi,� said Sylvia Armira, parishioner and member of St. John the Baptist mission. �He is our shepherd.�

A member of St. Robert Bellarmine mission also thanked the archbishop for reopening that church�s doors. The parish closed in 2009 due to finances, but re-opened as a mission of Corpus Christi in September 2010.

�We must also thank your pastor. He is always here, dedicated and working for all of you,� Archbishop Wenski said in his closing remarks.