Procession of the Blessed Sacrament

Where to meet
The Procession will commence at St. Patrick’s Church Hill, Grosvenor St, the York St exit from Wynyard Station.

Please feel free to approach one of the event marshals (wearing orange t-shirts) on the event day if you are unsure of the marshalling arrangements.

What to bring
Make sure you bring banners to make the Procession colourful and festive.
Also, bring a radio so you and others around you can listen to the broadcast of hymns and prayers on 90.9 FM

Where the Procession will lead
Streets will be closed for the duration of the Procession. A map displaying the route will be available on this site soon.

Adoration & Benediction
The Procession will culminate in the Piazza outside St Mary’s Cathedral, with the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Solemn Benediction. Participants will be able to join in prayers and hymns and the ceremony is expected to conclude at 5:30pm.

What you can do before the Procession
Parishioners of the Archdiocese are asked to write their prayers and petitions inside their Parish’s “Book of Life”. You will find the “Book of Life” in your Parish Church after Easter.

Each “Book of Life” will be carried by its Parish in the Procession, and placed on the front steps of St Mary's Cathedral, before the Blessed Sacrament.

Join in the hymns and prayers
Music for the Procession will include hymns, chants and litanies including well known Gregorian chants, traditional hymns, Taize chants and some contemporary Catholic songs.

The music will be pre-recorded by various choirs, including The Seminary of the Good Shepherd and broadcast on 90.9 FM radio.

Why the Procession starts at St Patrick's Church Hill
In 1817 Father Jeremiah O’Flynn arrived in Sydney. He was our first Catholic priest, but despite having the Pope’s permission to celebrate Mass, the British Government forbad him.

He persisted, and in 1818 Governor Macquarie deported him. Father O’Flynn deliberately left the Blessed Sacrament in the care of a prominent Catholic, William Davis. Davis opened his house for those who wished to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. The house stood at the site of what later became St Patrick’s Church Hill.

Will this Procession be held each year?
In 2006, Cardinal Pell announced that the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament was to become an annual event in Sydney. It will be held each year on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Around 10,000 people participated in last year’s procession, and it is hoped that even more are expected this year. Some highlights from previous years:

“Singing Ave Maria with thousands of others as we walked along just made my heart soar. I’ll be there again next year!”
  - Raquel Scopice, St Joseph's, Belmore.

“It was beautiful, I wanted to sing, I wanted to cry. I was so happy I was there.”
  - Carmel Wilson, Our Lady of the Way, Emu Plains.

“We wanted to share our deep love of the Eucharist. It was also our first time in St Mary’s Cathedral. We’ll be back again.”
  - George and Cathy Peridis, Holy Cross, Helensburgh.

“You can see the faith in people’s faces. And the little ones carrying rosary beads and looking at the different banners. It’s lovely to see the beautiful traditional outfits of different cultures. It’s beyond words.”
  - Gabrielle Johnson, Sacred Heart, Pymble.

“I was moved by the elderly and the not-so-well, moving forward with frames and walking sticks. They were determined to walk to the Cathedral. Age was no barrier. That’s the power of faith.”
  - Joseph Montomery, St Finbar’s Glenbrook.