'Christ the King is here for you!'

By Marlene Quaroni - Florida Catholic

Photography: MARLENE QUARONI | FC

MIAMI | St. Mary Cathedral’s clergy and parishioners planned a procession around the church neighborhood as part of their first Christ the King Eucharistic Revival, to bring awareness of God to those not attending church.

God, however, had a different plan: flooding rain on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022.

“We thought about celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi, June 8th, outdoors, but it’s very hot and rainy in June so we decided to celebrate the feast of Christ the King, November 20th, with an outdoor procession because it’s cooler and there’s less rain in November,” said Father Christopher Marino, the cathedral’s rector. “We wanted to let the community see that the Lord is present in the monstrance. He will come to you.”

The procession was to include a cathedral banner, a large canopy to cover the Eucharist, parishioners of various nationalities, religious from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary and St. Mary Cathedral School cheerleaders.

“Like you, I’m disappointed,” Father Marino told the congregation. “Whoever was in charge of the weather had different intentions. We bought a beautiful canopy for the monstrance so that we could bring the Lord outside.”

Instead, a small umbrella canopy covered the monstrance as Father Marino carried it through the church aisles. Before the procession, the school cheerleaders chanted and waived their pompoms to the tune of “Clap your hands, stamp your feet, Christ the King is here for you!” and the Servants of the Pierced Hearts provided music.

“Despite the rain, we all came together today to sing love songs to the Lord,” said Father Marino. “Adelante, we move forward! Viva Cristo Rey!”

Parishioner Rose Mary Jean Louis was philosophical about the rained-out neighborhood procession.

“God does whatever he wants,” she said. “We weren’t bothered by outside distractions. My cousin has cancer and I’m praying for her. God didn’t mean for us to be outside.”

Pope Pius XI instituted the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, in 1925 to respond to growing secularism and atheism during the early 20th century. At that time, militantly secularistic regimes threatened the Catholic Church and its faithful, along with civilization itself.