January 22, 2016: Today's Catholic * Rural Parishes Section * Reflections on Christ the King procession, celebration in Del Rio
Photo:
At Sacred Heart Church, Father Henry Clay Hunt, III pastor at St. Joseph Church
and Father Carlos Oscar Velázquez Lázaro associate pastor at Our Lady of
Guadalupe Church, are praying the Church’s ancient traditional Vespers,
alternating in English and Spanish, utilizing their modern high-tech smartphone
app
Reflections
on Christ the King procession
November
22 was a glorious day with the sun shining its brilliant light and offering the
procession participants comforting warmth.
The faithful
gathered at 2:00 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and then the solemn procession
proceeded to Sacred Heart Church and ended at St. Joseph Church with 5:00 pm
Mass.
Olga
Acosta, St. Joseph Church parishioner said that “attending the Grand Procession
Christ the King was a humbling experience; in my thoughts I could see the Lord
robed in his majesty and he is greater than any king on earth for he is King of
Kings”. She recalled how Father Pius Ezeigbo from Sacred Heart Parish spoke
whole heartedly about people being fearful to speak about God; instead he said
ask God to help you overcome that fear and take control and soon you will be able to proclaim the word of
God without fear”. She stated that these
words deeply touched her and “inspired confidence in me now that so many places
are not allowing God to be declared publicly”.
Dalia
Rogers, parishioner from Sacred Heart Church reflected on how “good it was to
see all three parishes come together with all the parishioners walking together
in procession honoring Our Lord Christ the King and it was especially moving to
see all the priests, deacons and altar servers join in prayer and in song.” She
mentioned that what she enjoyed seeing the most was “people coming off the
streets and joining the procession”.
María Rosales,
parishioner from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church spoke in Spanish about the
procession: “Me dio mucha alegría poder participar en la procesión de Cristo
Rey porque Dios siempre me fortalece and nunca me falta nada. Tengo unos discos
quebrados en la espalda y estoy muy agradecida que en la procesión no me dolió
nada porque Dios es me luz y mi fuerza y no me canse porque íbamos
rezando y dándole homenaje a Él. Lo que me dio mucha emoción fue ver los
viejitos en frente del (Del Rio) Nursing Home y el padre se paró a darles le
bendición con el Santísimo”.
(Translation:
I was very happy to participate in the procession of Christ the King because
God always gives me strength and I lack for nothing. I have some broken discs
in my back and I'm very grateful that during the procession I was not in pain
because God is my light and my strength and I did not get tired because we were
praying and giving homage to Him. I was very emotional to see the elderly in
front of the (Del Rio) Nursing Home and the priest stood to give them a
blessing with the Blessed Sacrament.)