The Solemn Eucharistic Procession is a continuation of the 4:00pm Mass. The faithful will follow in procession out the church, off our property, into College Downs neighborhood, and re-enter into the back of the parish property. there will be three stops along the route where the faithful will spend time in silent prayer and adoration. The Solemn Procession will return into the church for Benediction, then the Monstrance will be given to Fr. Sparrow and travel to St. Patrick Parish.

On the Centennial Traveling Monstrance    by Fr. Arturo

     The Diocese of Raleigh is celebrating its first 100 years this year. This centennial anniversary began in October 2023 with the Eucharistic Congress in Raleigh. At that Eucharistic Congress, a beautiful monstrance with the Most Blessed Sacrament was brought from Sacred Heart Church (The first Cathedral) to the Raleigh Civic Center. That monstrance has been touring the Diocese this year, from parish to parish (two days at a time). Our parish's turn for hosting it will be Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14.  
     During those two days, we will have 30 consecutive hours of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. On Friday, September 13, I will celebrate Mass at 9:00 am and consecrate the host for exposition. During the exposition, prayers, liturgical chants, and readings from the Holy Scriptures should be arranged so that the faithful, attentive in prayer, can dedicate themselves to the Blessed Sacrament. Sacred silence occurs at appropriate times.
     We have planned a schedule with all these liturgies and devotions during those 30 hours of exposition. We will have the Liturgy of the Hours with its moments of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. We will have Eucharistic services. We will have the recitation of the Rosary and the chanting of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Some of these services will be in English and other languages.
     Everyone is encouraged to make time during those 30 hours to come and adore the Most Blessed Sacrament. We are encouraging everyone who is planning on attending to sign up. We would like to have an idea of the number of people present at different moments, especially at the prayer services. To accommodate Saturday afternoon Mass, the Exposition will end at 3:30 pm.
     The fact of hosting the diocesan monstrance in our parish inspired me to arrange and hold a Eucharistic Procession. A Eucharistic procession is a solemn rite with singing in which the Eucharist is carried through the streets and by which the Christian people bear public witness of faith and devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharistic procession we are planning will occur as the conclusion of the Saturday afternoon Mass on September 14. Importantly, in this case, the Eucharistic procession will be part of the Mass. In fact, the final blessing will be omitted at that Mass because there will be a Solemn Benediction at the end of the Eucharistic procession. We need several people to carry the canopy, which is a rectangular cloth that covers the Blessed Sacrament during a procession.
    Hosting the diocesan monstrance will offer us a wonderful opportunity to grow in union with the Lord.

Click the photo above to link to the Diocese website for Centennial information/articles and more!

Praise God in his Holy Place - A Concert to Rejoice in Our Centennial
Friday, October 25, 2024 - 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
We are excited to be joined by the Choir of the National Shrine in Washington, DC, directed by Dr. Peter Latona. All the faithful are invited to come celebrate our centennial through music in the holy setting of our cathedral. The concert is open to all who RSVP through the coming link. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. At the end of the concert there will be a special centennial surprise. We look forward to seeing you there. 
RSVP (link coming soon)

Mass of the Faithful: Honoring a Century of Our People through Worship
Friday, November 8, 2024; 10:30am-12:00pm
This commemorative Mass will mark the Centennial of the Diocese of Raleigh and celebrate the ideas of servant leadership and life-giving love, which have been present throughout our 100 year history. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama will celebrate the Mass, with His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory offering the homily.
Tickets will be made available to the parishes after Labor Day. Please see your pastor if you are interested in attending.
Attendees: Mass will begin at 10:30 a.m., but please be in your seat by 9:45 a.m. The Mass will end at approximately 12:00 p.m.