Eucharistic Procession marking the conclusion of the special Year of Saint Joseph brings two communities within the church together

[Liza Oprandi]

 Eucharistic Procession marking the conclusion of the special Year of Saint Joseph brings two communities within the church together

By Liza Oprandi and Monica Melville
Basel, Switzerland


Eucharistic Procession marking the conclusion of the special Year of Saint Joseph brings two communities within the church together

The Eucharistic Procession which took place in Basel on 5th December 2021 was a unique occasion. The procession was held to honour and give thanksgiving for the Year of Saint Joseph, which was coming to an end. The occasion was remarkable in that it brought together several Roman Catholic communities, namely the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP); the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest, an order associated with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP); the Carmelites and the Novus Ordo community. Many lay faithful joined the priests from these communities in procession from the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Anton to the Church of Saint Joseph.

The vision of having an extraordinary Eucharistic Procession can be traced back to a small group of faithful Catholics called the Friends of Saint Joseph which is a subgroup of Mission Ruah, another lay faithful Catholic group. “Ruah” is Hebrew for breath or wind and refers to God as a breath of life force that sustains all living beings. Four individuals from this group approached the parish priest at Saint Anton and proposed a plan for a Eucharistic Procession. Usually, a procession involving several communities would take a lot longer than a month to organize, but this is all the time the Friends of Saint Joseph had to make it possible. The Friends of Saint Joseph encountered little miracles along the way, which gave the group confidence that this was indeed God’s Holy Will to have this Eucharistic Procession.

The event began with Holy Mass at Saint Anton which concluded with a personal Consecration to Saint Joseph.  Outside the main doors of the church, approximately 150 Catholics from the different committees and parishes gathered behind the Blessed Sacrament and the priests of the different religious orders and the procession officially commenced. The group organised a couple of stops along the way to Church of Saint Joseph. The first one was at an old people’s home on Mülhauserstrasse. The elderly eagerly gathered at the windows of the facility entrance to receive a Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.  This brought tears of joy to the elderly and members of the procession. The second stop took place at the centre of the bridge Dreirosenbrücke overlooking the city of Basel, and there it received a Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. This was a very special moment in the procession.

The Eucharistic Procession then continued until it arrived in front of the Church of Saint Joseph, where the people kneeled as the priest placed the Monstrance on an outdoor altar for adoration. Additional prayers including a general Consecration to Saint Joseph were recited while the Sister Adorers sang The Litany of Saint Joseph in Latin. The event concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament over all gathered outside.

The Lord had put it into many hearts to have this procession. It became clear for those involved in the planning that it was His desire to be brought to the streets of Basel where He could be adored by the faithful and give His blessing to the town and its people.

Our world today needs more Eucharistic Processions, where Jesus in the Sacrament of His love can be adored by His children. All He needs is a ‘window of wonder’ to plant a seed of faith in those who do not know Him. As it is written in Matthew 7:7: ’Ask and it shall be given to you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be open to you.’ Our Lord will always use these golden opportunities to call people into his fold.

The Church of Saint Anton has offered daily Eucharistic Adoration since March 19, 2020, the Feast Day of St. Joseph, Protector of Holy Church. As one faithful parishioner stated, “The Eucharist is the core of our faith, the source from which we draw strength amidst the multitudinous challenges of today.” Another stated “It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of being in adoration before the Eucharist as often and for as long as our daily duties allow”.

The Eucharistic Procession in Basel reminds us of what is genuinely essential in these times of darkness and uncertainty. It also reminds us of the unique role that Saint Joseph plays as Protector of Holy Church.

The hope remains that one day Eucharistic Processions with the Blessed Sacrament will frequent the streets worldwide as much as they did in the past.


Liza Oprandi