Fr Moore blesses roads of Castlepollard for Corpus Christi

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, was celebrated in a different manner this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Castlepollard, Fr Patrick Moore, PP, responded to a request from the people of the parish to mark the day.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Fr Moore said: “The people wanted to see Jesus in the form of the monstrance so we decided not to have a procession, but to have a journey around the town in silence, and a blessing at each road leading to the central part of the town, which would include all homes and institutions, sick people, healthy people, schools, all the wonderful parts of each parish and each hinterland.

“There were seven blessings and a final blessing. The people respected the guidelines on social distancing and everybody maintained silence, so we had a very pleasant experience and we hope that it was beneficial to everybody.”

Local man Michael Cassidy pointed out that Corpus Christi is a special day of prayer. He said the Corpus Christi event was requested by the people of the parish in thanksgiving for the good health they had during the pandemic.

“The Lord spared us, and we had no one from the parish who was seriously ill, so the people asked the parish priest if he would come out and bless all the roads and the people who are on them, the nursing homes, the hospital, the general community.”

Michael thanked Bishop Deenihan, and said that the community also remembered the two young local men who had lost their life in accidents in the previous week.