Beneath the billboards and beside the rush-hour traffic, thousands follow Christ in the Blessed Sacrament during the Napa Institute’s 6th annual New York procession
The Cathedral erupted in laughter.
The oil of annointing dripping down from his hairless head onto now Bishop Espillat’s smiling face and Cardinal Dolan joyfully handing a towel to him to clear his eyes.
At that time, he would become the youngest Bishop in the United States. And he brought with him a passion for evangelization and the Blessed Sacrament the likes of which would join an ever-growing movement, the Eucharistic Revival, that was in its infancy.
About a year later, after photographing a priestly Ordination at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A photographer friend of mine nudged me and asked if I was going to the Eucharistic Procession in Times Square. To which I glanced him and asked…
“What procession?”
I was sitting on 51st Street with a sandwich and a cold cup of coffee, sorting photos and writing down a few thoughts. The procession wasn’t until late afternoon, and I was already pretty tired. I wasn’t planning to go. So I left it in God’s hands, which, once again, proved to be the best idea.
Hours later, I found myself in Father Duffy Square, surrounded by thousands of people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. And there at the center of it all was Bishop Espaillat, his energy and joy unmistakable. The atmosphere was electric. In a place the world knows for its lights and spectacle, people had gathered to adore Christ. I’d nearly missed it because I was “tired.” Now I was standing in the middle of Times Square, trying to take in something utterly breathtaking.
And now, another invitation to follow Him into the streets.
On October 13, 2026, the Napa Institute returned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for its annual Eucharistic procession.And that same Bishop Espaillat, whose anointing filled this cathedral with laughter, and whose joy I encountered in Father Duffy Square, celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass and preached the homily. He was joined by by Dominican Father Gregory Pine and Father John Burns who led Eucharistic meditations before Mass. After Mass, the Eucharistic procession spilled from the cathedral onto the crowded city streets to bring the Presence of Christ and the witness of Faith of countless thousands made through Midtown.
Napa’s New York procession began in 2021. Its invitation simple: accompany Christ in the Blessed Sacrament through the city. It takes a Faith nourished at the altar into the streets, where anyone passing by might encounter it.
Since then it’s been the inspiration of countless Eucharistic Processions around the world. Even the National Eucharistic Revival that launched in June 2022 carried that same desire to renew Catholics’ relationship with Christ in the Eucharist.
Beneath the blue of the stained glass, the congregation fills the pews as the bishop preaches. Before the procession enters the city, the invitation is already reaching hearts.
In his homily, Bishop Espaillat preached about the people we too easily pass by. His homily was grounded in the day’s readings: Jesus at the Pharisee’s table and the cup polished outside while something remained wrong within. The remedy was almsgiving, a heart learning to give. He spoke of mercy made concrete, turning us toward the needs of another.
Near the end, he recalled Archbishop Thompson of Indianapolis telling young people that they were a mystery to be encountered. Then he extended that invitation to babies, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness and inmates on death row.
“Young people are not a problem to be figured out. They are a mystery to be encountered!”
And then came the challenge.
The bishop was asking us to look honestly at our own hearts, and he gave us somewhere to begin. Support a food pantry. Walk with someone who is lonely or anxious. Sit down with someone whose views differ from our own and have a Christ-like conversation. Give quietly, without announcing it on social media.
“Be kind. Give out of love, not out of obligation.”
The Cathedral was standing room only. The Sisters of Life, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Dominicans and dozens of other religious filled the cathedral.
And above it all was an absolutely breathtaking sky, with New York’s rush hour down below.
The afternoon concluded with Benediction, led by Bishop Espaillat.
Once dismissed as “Hughes’ Folly” for standing too far outside the city, St. Patrick’s now stands at its heart.
And the invitation reaches beyond its doors, into the places where we work, the people we pass and the lives we too easily overlook.
In a city that stands as the world’s cultural capital, a new culture is emerging: The Culture of Christ.
New generations of Catholics are forming new communities. Churches once quiet are now filled to capacity. And it’s no surprise when you realize that by bringing His Presence to the streets, Grace overflows.
Christ is here. His love is for every person on these streets.
The culture of Christ begins there.
And, by His Grace, it can begin again in us again.
Father John Burns offers a reflection beneath the crucifix. Before we follow Christ into the streets, we make room to hear Him. 
From the pulpit to a screen beside the pews to the live stream, the afternoon’s reflection reaches across the cathedral and world. An invitation to draw closer, wherever we find ourselves sitting. 
The priests make their way through a packed cathedral. So many lives, gathered around one altar. 
Bishop Joseph Espaillat preaches. Encountering Christ asks something of us…including a willingness to see the people we too easily pass by. 
The Blessed Sacrament is raised above the altar. Here is the heart of the afternoon: Christ, who gives Himself to us. 
A press badge, communion, and prayer. Before this day becomes a story to tell, it is an encounter to receive. 
In a crowded cathedral, prayer still has a face. A woman lifts her eyes as heads bow around her. 
Beneath the figure of Christ above the cathedral doors, the Blessed Sacrament emerges through incense into the afternoon. The invitation is going out into the streets. 
St. Patrick’s rises behind the priests as they step into Midtown. The prayer begun at the altar now has a city to move through. 
Beneath Times Square’s towering billboards, the Sisters of Life walk with rosaries in hand. Prayer becomes visible at street level. 
Between construction barriers and office towers, the Blessed Sacrament passes beneath a canopy of white and gold. Christ comes into the city as it is, and into our lives as they are. 
The line of priests stretches along Radio City Music Hall. 
Banners of the saints rise above a crowd stretching down the block. Young and old move forward together, companions on the way to Christ. 
A man kneels on the sidewalk beside his bag as the procession passes. An ordinary New York corner becomes a place of adoration. 
Back inside the cathedral, incense rises before the Blessed Sacrament. The prayer that traveled through Midtown gathers again around the altar. 
Bishop Espaillat raises the monstrance for Benediction. After following Christ through the streets, the faithful rest in His Presence. Bishop Joseph Espaillat preaches. Encountering Christ asks something of us…including a willingness to see the people we too easily pass by.