DAYTONA BEACH  |  Father Kenneth Gill, rector of the Basilica of St. Paul in Daytona Beach, led hundreds of parishioners in a procession honoring the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, June 7, 2026. Father Gill said, “We do it to share with the community our joy in knowing God’s love for us through the presence of Jesus  being with us.”

Out of curiosity and reverence, drivers on U.S. 1 slowed down to catch a glimpse of Catholics worshipping their Lord and Savior. They concluded the procession in an outdoor altar allowing time for Eucharistic Adoration.

The feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, typically falls the Thursday after the octave of Pentecost, however most parishes move the celebration to Sunday so more people can participate.

Pope Urban IV established the feast in 1246 after the miracle in Bolsena, Italy. A priest tormented with doubt about the True Presence of Christ elevated the host during consecration and discovered it was bleeding.