Mayor Rafael Greca receives an invitation from Dom Zico to participate in the Corpus Christi event. – Curitiba, 05/02/2024 – Photo: Daniel Castellano / SMCS
Mayor Rafael Greca receives an invitation from Dom Zico to participate in the Corpus Christi event. – Curitiba, 05/02/2024 – Photo: Daniel Castellano / SMCS
Mayor Rafael Greca receives an invitation from Dom Zico to participate in the Corpus Christi event. – Curitiba, 05/02/2024 – Photo: Daniel Castellano / SMCS
“Eucharistic Jesus: bread of unity for peace in the world”. This is the theme of the Corpus Christi celebration this year, which will take place on May 30th in Curitiba.
On the afternoon of this Thursday (2/5), Bishop Reginei José Modolo (Dom Zico) presented the program of the religious event and the new visual identity of Corpus Christi to Mayor Rafael Greca, at the headquarters of Palácio 29 de Março.
He was accompanied by the general coordinator of Corpus Christi, Father Juarez Rangel, and the State Government advisor, Eliseu Rocha. The meeting was also attended by the secretary of Social CommunicationCinthia Genguini, president of Curitiba Cultural FoundationAna Cristina Castro.
“The celebration of Corpus Christi is a tradition that has taken place since 1721 in Curitiba. You can be sure that I, my wife Margarita, vice-mayor Eduardo Pimentel and his wife Paula, as well as all the secretaries will all be at the door of the City Hall waiting for the Eucharistic triumph and saying ‘Long live Christ in the sacred host’”, said the Mayor Rafael Greca.
The Archdiocese of Curitiba hopes to bring together more than 120 thousand faithful in the program that will take place at the Curitiba Cathedral in Praça Tiradentes, on Rua Barão do Serro Azul, on Avenida Cândido de Abreu and in Praça Nossa Senhora de Salette, between the Center and the Civic Center .
The religious date has a strong tradition in the capital, which has held processions since 1721, without any interruption even in times of pandemic.
“At a time of so many conflicts and wars, we know that the world needs peace. And we, as Catholics, know that the only possible way is through Jesus Christ. For this reason, we wish to unite in prayer, that is, in unity, asking for peace throughout the world”, defended the general coordinator of the event, Father Juarez Rangel.
Food collection
In addition to the liturgical motive, the theme also brings a proposal for bold concrete action. The Mercy Campaign to be held on the day aims to collect 10 tons of food. “On this day, we want no one to go hungry: neither for food for the body, nor for food for their spirituality”, says the priest.
Carpets, mass and procession
The assembly of two kilometers of traditional handmade carpets takes place from 8 am on May 30th and should bring together around 4 thousand volunteers, from the 140 parishes that make up the archdiocese, as well as educational institutions and seminaries.
From 8am to 2:30pm, there will be artistic and religious attractions on the two stages set up in Tiradentes and Nossa Senhora de Salette squares. Visits will be made to hospitals and social institutions, leaving at 9am.
The Holy Mass at Praça Tiradentes is scheduled to take place at 3pm. The procession will then take place on Av. Cândido de Abreu, expected to arrive at Praça Nossa Senhora de Salette at 5:40 pm for the blessing of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards there will be a closing show with Father Reginaldo Manzotti and guests.
The holding of Corpus Christi in Curitiba is a partnership between the Archdiocese of Curitiba and the Evangelizar É Preciso Association.
Photography contest
As happened in 2023, this year the Archdiocese of Curitiba will also promote the Corpus Christi Photographic Contest, divided into the following categories: Portraits (images that show the devotion of the people present at the event); Icons and symbols (cross, bread, wine, chalice, Our Lady, phrases on t-shirts, etc.); Vocation (priests, men and women religious, families, lay people at the service of the Gospel); and Carpet (designs and arts created by parishes).
The 40 works selected this year will be exhibited at Shopping Muller, from August 15th to 19th. The photos that stood out the most from last year will be shown on Clear Channel digital media, posted at public transport stops and other locations in the city.
Registration must be made on the archdiocese website by May 24th.
Meaning of the date
The word Corpus Christi comes from Latin, which means “Body of Christ” or “Body of God”. Tradition says that Jesus, on the eve of his crucifixion, met with the apostles at supper and instituted the Eucharist.
The celebration of Corpus Christi refers to the moment when Jesus Christ shared bread and wine with his apostles at the last supper before being crucified, as mentioned in the verse Saint Matthew 26:26 from the Bible.
The date began to be celebrated in the Middle Ages and its origins lie in the visions of the Augustinian nun Juliana de Mont Cornillon (1193-1258).
The traditional salt carpets refer to the moment when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. It is a way of celebrating the date that arrived in Brazil through Portuguese influence. Despite the name, the carpets are made not only of salt, but of other materials, such as sawdust, and represent branches that the faithful threw as they passed through Jerusalem.