On Corpus Christi Sunday, June 19, all are invited to join Bishop Alfred Schlert in the final event of the Year of the Real Presence in the Diocese of Allentown, a Solemn Mass and Eucharistic Procession.
The 3 p.m. Mass will be a historic event celebrated at a historic parish, Most Blessed Sacrament in Bally. Founded in 1741, Most Blessed Sacrament is the oldest parish in the Diocese, and the only one dedicated to the Holy Eucharist.
Weather permitting, the Eucharistic Procession will begin in the church at the conclusion of the Mass, and then move outdoors, with participants visiting three altars for brief periods of Adoration.
“The Year of the Real Presence is, has been, and will be a source of great grace for our Diocese,” Bishop Schlert said. He invites all priests, deacons, religious men and women, and seminarians to join in the celebration.
Bishop Schlert will grant participants in the Mass and Procession a Plenary Indulgence, which is an application of God’s Divine Mercy to remove the effects of past sin. It can be understood as a kind of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife.
Even after we go to Confession and are absolved of our sins, temporal punishment for that sin still remains. Temporal punishment is the time needed to heal the wound of sin.
This healing can occur while we are still alive – as we perform works of mercy and charity, prayer, and penance – or after death, through time in Purgatory.
A Plenary Indulgence heals the wound of sin while we are still alive, reducing or eliminating the need for time in Purgatory before we go to Heaven.
To receive an indulgence, a person also must make a good Confession to a priest, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Pope, all within a reasonable time before or after the granting of the indulgence. An indulgence can be used by the person receiving it, or it can be applied to a deceased loved one.
Most Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful and historic church, but space inside is somewhat limited, so the faithful are asked to register for the Mass here. The Mass also will be livestreamed here on AD Today. You can watch it and pray along by clicking on the banner at the top of the home page, or by visiting the diocesan Facebook and YouTube pages.
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