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Gulf Pine Catholic • June 21, 2024 13 Corpus Christi procession is not sign of pride but invitation, pope says BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service ROME ( CNS ) -- When Catholics carry the Eucharist through the streets, “we are not doing this to show off or to flaunt our faith” but to invite others to share in the life that Jesus gives by making him- self a gift, Pope Francis said. “Let’s make the procession in this spirit,” the pope said June 2 in his homily at a Mass for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Pope Francis presided over the Mass in Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as bishop of Rome. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, pre- fect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was the main celebrant at the altar. After Mass, more than 3,000 people -- cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, lay members of confrater- nities and sodalities, Romans and pilgrims -- partic- ipated in the Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, about a mile away. Rome Auxiliary Bishop Baldo Reina carried the Eucharist under a canopy held aloft by eight men. Pope Francis, who has difficulty walking and often uses a wheelchair, was driven to St. Mary Major to welcome the procession and lead adoration and Benediction. In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis said the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist demonstrates that God is “not distant and jealous, but close and in solidarity with humanity; a God who does not aban- don us but always seeks, waits for and accompanies us, even to the point of placing himself, helpless, into our hands, subjecting himself to our acceptance or rejection.” “His real presence also invites us to be close to our brothers and sisters wherever love calls us,” the pope said. The sign of bread is important, the pope said, because “it is the food of daily life, and with it we bring to the altar all that we are and all that we have: our lives, work, successes and failures too.” In some cultures, he said, if someone drops a piece of bread from the table, they pick it up and kiss it as a sign that “it is too precious to be thrown away, even if it has fallen.” The Eucharist teaches Catholics “to bless, to gather and to cherish God’s gifts as a sign of thanks- giving” by not wasting food or talents, for example, but also by “forgiving and helping raise up those who make mistakes and fall because of weakness or lapses, acknowledging that everything is a gift and nothing should be lost, that no one should be left behind and that everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet.” Pope Francis also spoke about the fragrance of bread and how, “every day we see too many streets that were once filled with the smell of freshly baked bread, but are now reduced to rubble by war, selfish- ness and indifference!” “We urgently need to bring back to our world the good, fresh aroma of the bread of love, to continue tirelessly to hope and rebuild what hatred destroys,” he said. Reciting the Angelus prayer earlier in the day with visitors gathered under the rain in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed for war-torn countries where finding one’s daily bread is a challenge. He prayed for Sudan, “where the war that has been going on for over a year still has not found a peaceful solution.” “And let us not forget tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel (and) Myanmar,” he said. “I appeal to the wisdom of those who govern to cease the esca- lation and to put every effort into dialogue and nego- tiation.” In his main Angelus address, he called attention to the Gospel’s description of Jesus breaking the bread and sharing it with His disciples. “In the broken bread and in the chalice offered to the disciples,” the pope said, “it is He who gives Himself for all humanity and offers Himself for the life of the world.” Because of that, he said, partaking of the Eucharist “is not an act of worship detached from life or a mere moment of personal consolation; we must always remember that Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to them and, therefore, commu- nion with Him makes us also capable of becoming bread broken for others, capable of sharing what we are and what we have.” BAY ST. LOUIS -- St. Stanislaus is pleased to announce that Clayton Fletcher has been named Valedictorian and Cameron Gremillion has been named Salutatorian of the Class of 2024. Valedictorian Clayton Fletcher will graduate from St. Stanislaus with a 4.72 GPA and has been on President’s Honor Roll every year he’s been enrolled. This year Clayton was inducted into the ACT 30+ Society. He is the president of the SSC Chapters of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. In addition, he is a member of the lacrosse team, Quiz Bowl, Student Ministry, and serves as a Student Council Representative. He was a participant in the Klagetoh Mission Trip and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Summer Mission Trip to New Hampshire. Clayton is the son of Daryl and Janie Fletcher. He will attendMississippi State in the fall and major in computer engineer- ing. Salutatorian Cameron Gremillion will gradu- ate from Saint Stanislaus with a 4.72 GPA and has been on the President’s Honor Roll every year he’s been enrolled. This year Cameron was inducted Clayton Fletcher Valedictorian Cameron Gremillion Salutatorian St. Stanislaus College son of Dr. Avit Gremillion and Dr. Rachael Tadlock. He will attend Mississippi State in the fall and major in chemical engineering. 2024 Graduates : Athan Alexander, Logan Amburgy, John Andre, William Ascherl, Jacob Bradford, Ruston Breisacher, Charles Brown III, Harrison Brown, Randall Bryant, Lane Burroughs, Benjamin Cappel, Rylie Cook, Spencer Cornell, Robert Creely, Paxton DeBardeleben, Matthew Dey, Abrams Doxey, Clayton Fletcher, Ethan Galloway, Liam Glover, Ian Gonzales-Rioz, Christopher Green, Cameron Gremillion, Devon Guille, Joshua Hartl, Isaiah Haynes, Hunter Holland, Miller Howard, Zacharia Karamat, Ronald Kellum, Dylan Lamb, Mason Laville, Alexander LeGardeur-Eastham, Noah Lemmon, Jeremy Mares, Jr., Christopher Mavar, Richard Niolet, Danil Odem, William Powell III, Chesley Rhodes, Parker Saucier, Austin Scarengos, Heith Shinn, Matthew Simpson, John Scott Stassi, Tristan Summers, Reilly Tafaro, Parker Talamo, Jaden Tran, Arthur Viana, Brady Wallis, Tyson Warren, Samuel Watkins, Machi Watler, Malachi Watler, and Jaxon West. into the ACT 30+ Society. During his time at Saint Stanislaus, he has also participated in cross coun- try, track & field, and soccer, being named to the All-State Cross Country Team during his junior year. Cameron is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and serves as a Student Council representative. He also serves as president of the SSC Chapter of Key Club. Cameron is the