About 5,000 Catholics joined a special five-day procession in East Nusa Tenggara’s Ende district to parade the Most Blessed Sacrament in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Indonesian Church and the feast day of Christ the King.

The November 13-18 procession wound its way through every parish in the district starting from St. Mary Church in Worhonio before finishing at Christ the King Cathedral in Ende.

Here the Most Blessed Sacrament was displayed until yesterday’s feast day.

“Not only did this procession celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Indonesian Church and the feast, it was also to remind Catholics of their devotion to Jesus,” Father Reginaldus Piperno, cathedral parish priest, said in his welcoming speech at the cathedral church.

The Indonesian Church was officially established with the issuance of the “Quod Christus Adorandus” by Pope John XXIII on January 3, 1961, nine months after the Bishops Council sent its petition letter.

According to Father Piperno, the procession was not a show.

“We wanted to re-strengthen Catholics’ devotion to Jesus, who was crucified,” he said.

Meanwhile, in his homily during yesterday’s Mass, theVicar General of Ende archdiocese Father Sirilius Meo thanked all the faithful involved in the procession.

He also thanked people from other faiths who helped the procession go smoothly.

“The presence of Jesus breaks barriers. Such brotherhood is very much appreciated,” he said.

Aleksius Raja Seko from St. Joseph Freinademetz Church in Mautapaga said the procession “reminded Catholics of the importance of the devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, which, I think, has been forgotten.”

He hoped a similar procession will be held regularly to celebrate the feast of Christ the King.

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