06/05/2026
Fr. George Fleming's blog for our Feast Day:
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert…" Dt 8:2
Paul said to his people in Corinth:
"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body…" 1 Cor 10: 16-17
The first two readings proclaimed at our special celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi remind me how blessed we are to follow the directive of Moses and Paul to remember. As both communities were called to fully participate in the remembrance that would live again and again, so too do we, as the People of Corpus Christi, celebrate our 80th anniversary with a reminder to become truly what we partake of as a Eucharistic people.
On Mother’s Day, I recalled the hymn that echoes in many ways our Mystery of Faith with which it is sometimes confused: “We Remember. We Celebrate. We Believe.” At the center of our lives is the Eucharist, which reminds us that the sacramental life of our parish is rooted in our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. As we open our hearts and minds, we expand the Body of Christ by welcoming others into our community. Together, we find a way of inviting others and bringing all to the table.
This weekend, we begin to celebrate eighty years of our past, present, and future legacy. As we commemorated with Fr. Marty Fisher last weekend his ‘forty years’ of his journey in the priesthood, we recall that he was ordained at the halfway mark of our parish’s journey. It is a wonderful way to see the expanse of discipleship over time. As I enter into the 32nd year of my priesthood, I cannot help but marvel at the journey I have been able to navigate with the support and guidance of all of you for over five years. Ultimately, I believe we are led by our faith in our Lord Jesus.
As a parish family, we celebrate eighty years of a journey shared together for generations upon generations. We remember the many incredible members who worked together to build the parish, transitioning, expanding, and eventually relocating our worship space and parish facilities, yet always centered around one altar where we gathered and became one. Over the years, we celebrated the sacraments, buried loved ones, marked life’s milestones, and gathered around the altar Sunday after Sunday.
This weekend, we also remember with gratitude the ministry of Eileen Earle, whose retirement marks the end of an important chapter in parish life. Through decades of service, ministry coordination, and pastoral care, she helped shape the life of the parish community. She would also be the first to say how blessed she was to walk in the footsteps of countless men and women, like Fr. Jim Clark, who inspired her to share her own gifts and talents on behalf of the family of Corpus Christi.
We remember that every parish feast day celebration is more than a picnic. It is a family reunion of faith. It reminds us that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Like Moses calling on his people to remember manna in the desert, we remember the ways God has fed us along the journey.
On the occasion of our Feast Day we remember all of those who join us at the liturgies and at the celebration that follows. We are particularly proud to host Bishop Mark O'Connell. This is so much more than an honored guest attending a particular family reunion. It is a reminder that every parish is part of something larger than itself. We belong to the wider Church. We are connected to Catholics throughout the Diocese of Albany and throughout the world.
Most importantly, we are connected to our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul expresses this beautifully: "Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body." That truth is visible every time we gather around this altar. Different generations. Different backgrounds. Different stories. Yet Christ gathers us into one family of faith.
Today we celebrate not only what God has done through the faith community of Corpus Christi during these past eighty years, but what God continues to do among us today. We celebrate our ministries, our families, our children and grandchildren, our volunteers, our parish leaders, and all those who continue to answer God's call to discipleship. We celebrate the many ways Christ remains present among us and continues to nourish us through Word, Sacrament, and community.
The Celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi reminds us that at the center of all, we believe. We believe that the same God who guided Israel through the desert continues to guide us today. We believe that the same Christ who took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples continues to feed us with his very life. We believe that the Holy Spirit who has sustained this parish for eighty years is not finished with us yet.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is not simply a celebration of our past. It is a bold proclamation of our future. Every time we gather around this altar, Christ sends us forth renewed to love God, love others, make disciples, and welcome all into the Body of Christ. As we begin the next decade, we have embraced this call as our Mission: “Loving God, Loving Others, Making Disciples, Welcoming All into the Body of Christ.
God bless you all. God bless Corpus Christi.
