Last summer, pro-abortion protesters shouted “Hail, Satan!” in the Texas statehouse as the late-term abortion ban was under debate. It was a messy, agitated scene — a battlefield between the forces of good and evil:
Fast forward to this past feast of Corpus Christi Sunday, where a very different event took place in the same building (click here for larger size):
What are you seeing? Let’s zoom in:
Photo by Elizabeth McClungThat’s right! Over 1,000 Catholics participated in a Eucharistic procession and adoration inside the state capitol! It marks the first time (to my knowledge) that Catholics publicly adored the Blessed Sacrament in their state capitol.
What a beautiful way of responding after all the ugliness that took place in this same location last year. And what an appropriate way to celebrate and give thanks for the pro-life victories that have been achieved over the past year!
The event, described by one lead organizer as “evangelization at the grassroots level”, resulted from years of fruitful collaboration between lay leaders, deacons and priests, the Knights of Colombus, the bishop’s office and Texas politicians.
The organizers have been receiving inquiries from other Catholics around the country about how they might participate next year. Saint Mary Cathedral and the Knights of Columbus (Council 14055) deserve special credit for hosting and providing much of the financial backing for this evangelization outreach.
I hope Catholics in other states consider doing something similar in their own capitols. Our faith is beautiful when we express it!
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All photos (except where noted) are by Arlen Nydam and used with permission. You can view his slideshow of this Corpus Christi procession here including the stunning panorama photo from inside the capitol — please support his work!