The streets of Los Angeles filled with both parishoners and bystanders as the Eucharist passed through the outskirts of the city.
FR. JUAN OCHOA
Director, Office of Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The police officers themselves, as they are stopping the traffic, they would take the time to take their cellphones and take picture of the Blessed Sacrament and take pictures of the people.
Over 1,000 people attended the 6-mile long Eucharistic procession. Fr. Juan Ochoa says one of the inspirations for the procession was its connection to the first American-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Her conversion story began after seeing a Eucharistic procession.
FR. JUAN OCHOA
Director, Office of Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
That was one of my goals—the manifestation of our Catholic faith in the public square, to take Jesus outside the streets, and hopefully, following the example of Elizabeth Ann Seton, it will create a curiosity in those who do not believe.
This procession was part of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops initiative for the National Eucharistic Revival—a movement to restore devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist across the United States.
For the diverse Archdiocese of Los Angeles—which celebrates Mass in 40 different languages every Sunday—the Eucharist is one way of uniting the entire Catholic community.
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