Eucharistic Procession PWC, June 7, 2026

Continued from two weeks ago.
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4. Fortitude (Courage)
It takes courage to carry Christ publicly in a procession, professing faith in a God who is "really, truly, and substantially" present in a piece of bread. St. Francis had the fortitude to stand before the Sultan during the Crusades, not with an army, but with the peace of the Gospel. He had the courage to rebuild the Church, literally and figuratively, when everyone told him it was impossible.

In a time of division and secularism, fortitude is the grace to be unashamed of the Gospel. It is the courage to be a voice for unity when division is easier, to be an agent of healing when cynicism is the default, and to seek personal and national renewal even when the task seems as daunting as rebuilding a ruined chapel. This procession is itself an act of fortitude, a public witness that we believe in a power greater than any political or cultural force.

5. Boldness (Particular Virtue)
Boldness is the prophetic edge of faith. The Eucharist is not a private devotion; it is a public declaration of the Lordship of Christ over all creation, over our towns, and over our nation. To process with the Eucharist is to say, with the boldness of the early martyrs, "Jesus is Lord." St. Francis’ boldness was never aggressive; it was the fearless confidence of a man totally in love with God.

Boldness is needed to heal the wounds of division. It is the courage to speak of God's mercy in a culture of accusation, to preach reconciliation in the face of outrage, and to witness to the beauty of faith in a society that has grown cold. This procession, with banners and hymns, is a bold act. It declares that our hope is not in a political platform or a national anniversary, but in the One who walks among us, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament.

6. Prudence (Wisdom) (Cardinal Virtue)
Prudence is practical wisdom, knowing when to speak, when to act, when to wait. In the Eucharist, we encounter the very Wisdom of God, who ordered all things with wisdom and love. St. Francis withdrew to La Verna for discernment before major decisions. Celebrating 250 years of a nation as One nation under God, prudence appears to be the most neglected civic virtue by giving way to impulse (wars, economic booms, social media outrage). Prudence asks: What is the right action, here, now, with these people? How do we engage in the public square? How do we speak truth to power with love? How do we balance the need for national pride with the humility of a pilgrim people?

In view of healing and reconciliation, let us discern using the Ignatian method: gather facts, feel the emotions, consult the poor, then decide. Prudence turns the Eucharist from a symbol into a strategic presence for justice. Prudence plans the Eucharistic procession routes with the police, neighbors, and local leaders. May we invoke the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother most Prudent: Hail Mary….

7. Welcoming (Hospitality)
Hospitality is the very heart of the Eucharist. We come to the table as strangers and are welcomed as family. "Lord, I am not worthy…." we say, and yet He comes to us. This is the divine hospitality exemplified in the friendly family of Martha and Mary. St. Francis imitated this so perfectly. He did not just serve the poor; he welcomed them as brothers, washing their wounds and eating with them.

In the U.S. context, the Statue of Liberty proclaims, “Give me your tired, your poor.” Welcome essentially, is the virtue that heals nativism and xenophobia. Welcome reweaves the social fabric one encounter at a time. Welcome invites every bystander to become a pilgrim. Our "Welcoming" must be especially bold towards those who feel alienated from the Church, the "outsiders" of our day, offering them the peace of Christ without strings attached. Welcome is the tangible expression of the "Unity" in our Collaborative. It means our collaborative parishes are not exclusive clubs but true homes for the seeker, the doubter, the sinner, and the saint.

In closing, may our Eucharistic Procession be a living tapestry woven with these golden threads of virtues and values, bringing unity, healing, and renewal to our parishes and to our nation. On this 250th anniversary, these virtues and values are our greatest gifts to the nation. At 250, we see a nation still laboring to become what it promised: a land of liberty and justice for all. The Eucharist is the medicine; the virtues, the hands that hold it out; the procession, a first step of healing, unity and reconciliation. As we walk with the Eucharist, we walk with the One who heals all wounds. Our prayer is that, through our act of faith, the compassion of Christ will flow into the very soil of our nation, bringing the healing and renewal that only He can give. We are called to be, like St. Francis, instruments of His peace.

"Peace and all good!" (Pax et bonum!)