A Eucharistic procession through New York City on October 14 was a public display of evangelization for a city that sorely needs grace and hope, the procession's organizer told Aleteia.
"This city needs grace. This country needs grace. This Eucharistic Procession can bring that grace," said Tim Busch, founder of the Napa Institute. The Eucharistic procession was held as part of the Napa Institute's "2025 Faith & Business Conference: The Promise and Perils of AI," but was a free event open to the public.
More than a thousand people participated in the procession, which began at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Before the procession, there were meditations by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Fr. Ambrose Criste, a Norbertine priest.
Mass was then celebrated with Cardinal Sean O'Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston, as the main celebrant.
"We’ll never know the impact of our evangelization. But we trust that our Lord will change minds and win hearts through our witness," said Busch.
"And we hope that our example will inspire Catholics across America to organize their own processions, from the biggest cities to the smallest towns."
Stopped by Jesus
One of the priests who partook in the procession found the experience was very emotional.
"There’s something profoundly moving about seeing Jesus carried through the streets of New York City, right in the heart of the modern world that so often forgets Him. The Eucharistic procession wasn’t a protest or a performance. It was a public act of love," said Fr. Michael Duffy in comments shared with Aleteia. Fr. Duffy is the rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, New York.
He continued, "As the city hurried home from work, people were stopped, literally in their tracks, by Jesus Christ. For a few extraordinary moments, it was impossible to ignore Him. If the heart of our faith is to bring others to Jesus, that mission was fulfilled in an incredibly moving way yesterday."
St. John Paul II once referred to New York City as "the capital of the world," said Fr. Duffy.
"And yesterday, it was brought to a standstill by its Creator."
