CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2023 / 13:35 pm

A procession bringing Jesus in the Eucharist through the heart of the largest city in the U.S. attracted hundreds of participants on Tuesday evening.

Participants marched reverently as the Body of Christ, housed in a golden monstrance, was carried aloft through the busy streets of Manhattan, passing right in front of the storied Radio City Music Hall as some bystanders looked on with interest and others dropped to their knees.

The public procession, sponsored by the Catholic leadership organization Napa Institute, was part of the group’s 2023 Principled Entrepreneurship Conference, held Oct. 10-11 at The Metropolitan Club in New York.

Father Mike Schmitz, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth and a popular Catholic speaker and podcaster, celebrated Mass before the start of the procession at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of New York. He was joined by dozens of priests from around the country as well as Bishop Edmund Whalen, auxiliary bishop of New York.

“We have hearts that are a mess. And we need Jesus,” Schmitz said during the Mass, addressing the crowd of hundreds in the cathedral.

“We don’t have the kinds of hearts that can love him the way he deserves … every one of us is a sinner, and we need Jesus to rescue us.”

Reflecting on the Mass reading from the Book of Jonah, Schmitz boiled down God’s message to the reluctant and rebellious prophet: “Go to the people that I love and bring me with you.”

The priest admitted that he “felt like Jonah” when he was asked to celebrate the Mass before the procession. Schmitz said he sometimes is wary of the idea of processing the Eucharist outside in public spaces, where many onlookers may react with misunderstanding, indifference, or even hatred.

“I don’t want to ‘ambush’ them with the Lord,” Schmitz admitted. “Most people will not have any idea what we’re doing.”

But, upon further reflection, he said, “I think it’s what we need to do.” He said he is reminded of Jesus carrying his cross during his passion — at the time, Jesus was “unnoticed, misunderstood, or hated” by almost everyone who saw him.

Schmitz said the Eucharistic procession is an opportunity to glorify Jesus in a “hidden” form that most observers will not understand. And, perhaps, “someone will look up, glance over, and see the friends of Jesus and ask, ‘Who is that?’”

“Let this procession be your choice to say ‘God, I want you to recognize me in your glory. So I’m going to cling to you when you’re hidden … I want to be known as your friend when you come in triumph. So let me be your friend now,’” Schmitz said.

The solemn procession, with Whalen carrying the monstrance, began immediately after Mass.

Photos captured by Jeffrey Bruno show the monstrance being carried through the busy streets with dozens of priests, nuns, and laypeople following. Some observers on the side of the road dropped to their knees in reverence as the procession passed by.