Hundreds of St. Anselm RC Church parishioners, escorted by the 68th Precinct and led by Monsignor Michael Phillips, Father Martin Kull, and Father Michael Gelfant, processed throughout the streets of Bay Ridge carrying the Blessed Sacrament.
The celebration began with a Mass celebrated by Father Kull, whose homily focused on the “Presence of Jesus” and explained that “when you eat Jesus’ Body and drink Jesus’ Blood you become the body of Christ in the world today.”
Immediately following the Mass, Father Kull placed the Blessed Sacrament into the monstrance, the vessel used to carry the Eucharist, and then led parishioners out of the church to begin the procession.
Three parishioners — Theresa Daly, Gertrude Hennesey and Gino Casciato — volunteered the front of their homes along the route of the procession and set up altars, in front of each one of the priests pronounced Benediction, and blessed the crowd with the Blessed Sacrament.
Many stood in front of their homes during the procession as the Blessed Sacrament passed by in a show of reverence, and also for the Bay Ridge community to come together and visually express their faith to their neighbors.
St. Anselm RC Church is located at 356 82nd Street.
