Originally published June 7, 2012, this blog post series is an undergraduate short-term study abroad trip in Oxford, UK in partnership with Salve Regina University and St. Clare’s Oxford.
Today was Corpus Christi Day, an important feasting day in the Catholic religion. A small group of students and the professor of the Literature of Oxford professor went to a special mass and procession at New College. Like every other church in town, it was over two centuries old, and the architecture was perfectly preserved. A men’s choir performed and lead the songs in the church and during the procession outside in the courtyard.
Honestly, I do not know exactly why the holiday is so significant, so here are excerpts from a BBC article for further explanation:
- This jubilant festival is celebrated by Roman Catholics and other Christians to proclaim the truth of the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the actual body of Christ during Mass.
- Corpus Christi is marked by a service originally devised by Thomas Aquinas. It includes five great hymns, including Panis Angelicus (part of a longer hymn called Sacris Solemniis, ‘At this our solemn feast’).
Afterward, we went to O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Kitchen in Oxford’s city center. I already had supper, so I bought my first ice cream in Oxford today—it was amazing.
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| New College |
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| O’Neill’s |
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| Cookie and Chocolate Ice Cream |
New England Parisienne 