Stepping into their faith

Eucharistic Processions are not usually seen along UNC's sidewalks. But that changed on Wednesday night when Catholic Campus Ministry and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students took their faith to the streets and hosted a Eucharistic procession.

The students in the groups started the procession after they met for mass at St. Peter's Catholic Church at 915 12th St. The procession went from the church to the University Center Ballrooms, where the students met for praise, worship and adoration.

Processions can often hold a multitude of purposes, but this particular procession highlighted faith.

"The purpose is to be witnesses to the Catholic faith here in Greeley and to get the students to be witnesses," said Charlie Mercer, 27, a missionary on the FOCUS staff.

Students said they also found other reasons for participating in the procession.

"We have Eucharistic processions to bless the ground we walk on," said Stephanie LaGrange, a junior communication major. "We wanted to bless our campus because we live here every day."

Students who participated in the procession followed behind the priest, who carried the monstrance - a sacred element to the procession.

"Father carried the monstrance, and as we walked, we were allowed to touch his cloak, just like the woman in the Bible who touched Jesus," said Avery Morehead, a junior elementary education major, citing a Biblical verse from Matthew 9:18-22.

Those who were not participating but saw the event as it passed had many reactions.

"Most students see the police cars and the cops leading us and they think, 'Did someone die?' and they are shocked," Mercer said.

While shock and curiosity were common reactions, the students who participated saw bystanders with other reactions as well.

"Some of them were awkward, but then there were those who took off their hats to pay respect as we walked by," LaGrange said.

Rick Hoines-Brumback, the SEVIS Officer and international adviser for the Center for International Education and the faculty adviser for FOCUS, said he also noticed this reaction.

"When we walked by, people were silent," Hoines-Brumback said. "It was as if they were aware of something greater - it got them thinking about something that might be greater than themselves."

Although the procession made an impact on the students who witnessed it, it had a profound effect on those who took place in the procession.

"I think everyone was more excited by the end than before," Morehead said. "It was more powerful than we expected, and it was spiritually energizing."