REDMOND — More than 200 Catholics took to the streets here last month to profess their faith in the most public of ways.

With Father Charles Nnabuife and Father Stan Strzyz carrying the Eucharist in a monstrance, the community walked and sang on a bitter, dreary day for more than two miles, from the new St. Thomas Church to the old church downtown.

“For the first time in history, Jesus is walking in the streets of Redmond,” the priest told worshipers.

Onlookers from front porches, cafes and beauty shops watched in amazement at the Catholic entourage, a first for this growing but still small central Oregon town.

“One person reacted like this: Wow, the Holy Spirit is coming down our road today,” explains Father Nnabuife, who organized the walk.

The procession, which included parents with strollers and octogenarians, marked the feast of Christ the King. One hairdresser — not Catholic — told a parishioner that she felt like stopping what she was doing and joining the procession.

Father Nnabuife— a Nigerian ordained for the Diocese of Baker in 2005 — prepared parishioners for the walk, saying some townspeople might react negatively. But almost all the response was positive.

“Everybody I saw who came out had smiles on their faces, like they really liked what we were doing,” says Terri Isom, who led singing.

At first, Isom didn’t want to go. With temperatures below freezing, she hesitated to leave her cozy house. But after the walk and the songs, she had warmed up considerably — literally and figuratively.

Isom had printed out the words of hymns that have to do with Jesus as King, including “The King of Glory” and “Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King.” A Hispanic choir near the front of the long procession sang Spanish songs of devotion, accompanied by guitar.

Other worshipers, especially those near the back with the Eucharist, walked silently and prayerfully. Young men, including one with a Redmond High letterman’s jacket, held a canopy over the monstrance. Deacon Joe Pickens carried a set of handbells.
Father Nnabuife grew up in southern Nigeria. After working as a businessman, including a stint in Italy, he felt called to give his whole life to service. He recalls the joyful processions of his Catholic childhood, when poor but happy worshipers would flood the roadways.

“Father Charles told us that people get out of their hospital beds to walk in processions,” says John Paquette, one of the four Knights of Columbus in full regalia who walked with the Eucharist.

“It was just beautiful,” Paquette says, expecting the event to grow in coming years.
Police helped guide the procession down city streets and gave reflective vests to five parishioners who acted as a rolling safety patrol. When the group finished the walk, they filed into the old church and packed it for benediction.

“It was fantastic,” says Cecilia Chong, a bilingual parish staffer who facilitates communication between Hispanic and Anglo parishioners. “Everybody was really happy.

As one community we walked side by side, singing and sharing this special feast. We felt so warm because we were walking together.”