What a glorious day it was! We mission chapel folks had to continually pinch ourselves and ask, “Is this really happening here in rural Chelsea, Oklahoma? O, Lord, I am not worthy!”

We present this photo essay of our celebration of the great festival of Corpus Christi with sincere gratitude to Frs. Stephen Sandquist and Carlos Borja; seminarians Rev. Carlos Zepeda, Frater Aloysius Hartmann, Mr. Caleb Armour, and Phillip Lawrence; minor seminarian Evan Estrada; and Mater Dei Academy boys Joseph Wagner and Donald Pulliam,

The seminarians and boys arrived a couple of hours early to set up the outdoor altar and have choir practice. In this photo, Rev. Zepeda is directing, and from left to right are seminarians Phillip Lawrence, Frater Aloysius, and Mr. Armour.

“And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever.” (1 Chron. 23:13)

“Who then can be able to build him a worthy house? if heaven, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: who am I that I should be able to build him a house? but to this end only, that incense may be burnt before him.” (2 Chron. 2:6)”

A rare glimpse of Jesus in front of His open Tabernacle Prison.

O Jesu Christ, Remember

O Jesu Christ, remember,
When Thou shalt come again,
Upon the clouds of Heaven,
With all Thy shining train;—

When every eye shall see Thee
In Deity reveal’d,
Who now upon this altar
In silence art conceal’d;—

Remember then, O Saviour,
I supplicate of Thee,
That here I bow’d before Thee,
Upon my bended knee;

That here I own’d Thy Presence,
And did not Thee deny;
And glorified Thy greatness,
Though hid from human eye.

Accept, divine Redeemer,
The homage of my praise;
Be Thou the light and honour,
And glory of my days.

Be Thou my consolation
When death is drawing nigh;
Be Thou my only treasure
Through all eternity.

Hymn text by Fr. Edward Caswall

Adeleigh, Evelyn, and Rosemary Breaux served as flower girls. After Mass, Rev. Zepeda arranged the remaining rose petals around the little outdoor statue of Our Lady of Fatima that you can see in the left center of this photo.

Here Evelyn and Rosemary have entered the shade of the pavilion adjacent to the chapel. Imagine if as in bygone days, we could process through the villages and towns with great crowds of fervent Catholics!

Fr. Sandquist found our canopy in storage at Mater Dei Convent. It could be of late 1940s, early 1950s vintage and a true glory in its day. It is heavy, made from moire taffeta. The top is solid red, and the underside is ivory and embroidered with the IHS in the center. The fabric is frayed along the long sides from the framework rubbing. It was missing its poles, hardware, and side supports. But elevated once more in our Lord’s service, it was gorgeous and edifying, and created all the pageantry that this great festival’s procession required. Thanks to Herb Haught for procuring new poles and creating a new framework to attach to them.

Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.

Pray and sacrifice for priests. They pray and sacrifice so much for us.

“Humbly I adore Thee, hidden Deity, Which beneath these figures art concealed from me; Wholly in submission Thee my spirit hails, For in contemplating Thee it wholly fails.” Adoro Te Devote, St. Thomas Aquinas, Translation by E. Frey.

Many thanks to our canopy bearers, Mr. Michael Hartsock, Mr. Steve Breaux, Mr. Ben Brouse, and Mr. Ron Green.

We enjoyed a lovely meal together in the hall after the liturgical festivities. Crockpot Alley arrayed its aromatic wares of savory entrees and sides. The dessert table overflowed with sweet and creamy delights. Fr. Borja and the seminarians were in no hurry to leave, and the quiet joy of feasting, rightly-ordered, reigned.

Thank you to everyone who brought food and to all those in the background whose generosity helps make these days possible.