Diocese of Lansing priest Father Mark Rutherford led a Eucharistic Procession, March 21, around the entire diocese … from 10,000 feet in the air! And he did so to ask for God’s healing and protection for all below from the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are praying that our Heavenly Father heals his people in his love and his mercy because our God is a God who loves to heal, he is a performer of miracles, he is a wonder worker, he is the Prince of Peace, he is the Wonderful Counselor,” said Father Rutherford who is the Pastor of St. Mary, Williamston.
“He’s here for us and he loves us, and so through this Eucharistic Procession he just wrapped us with his divine light and his healing presence.”
Father Rutherford took off in a chartered Cessna 182 from Livingston County Airport in Howell. He then made its way across the 10-counties contained within the bounds of the Diocese of Lansing. He prayed throughout and blessed all below with the monstrance containing Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. Father Rutherford was assisted by Diocese of Lansing seminarian, Brett Ivey.
“Our God heals and he loves healing, he takes delight in healing, all we have to do is ask,” said Father Rutherford, “So, one of the purposes of this procession around the diocese is to ask our heavenly father to heal us of the COVID, to heal all those who currently have it, that our heavenly father heals them and restores them.”
“We also prayed for the few people who have died as a result of COVID. We pray for the repose of their souls and for their families.”
Eucharistic processions first emerged as a common practice in the life of the Catholic Church in the early 14th century during the celebration of Corpus Christi, traditionally celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost.