After taking their First Communion, our children are able to attend the beautiful ‘Corpus Christi’ celebration at ‘Arundel Cathedral’. After Communion they form the front part of a long procession leading to the Castle for a short Benediction. Although the Carpet of Flowers and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament at Corpus Christi was not possible during 2020 and greatly restricted in 2021 it had only been cancelled once before–during the First World War when the men working on the Norfolk Estate were away fighting at the front. The next Carpet of Flowers is due to take place on Thursday 27th May 2027. Mass preceding the Procession into the Grounds of the Castle takes place at 5.30pm and is lead by the Bishop. After the procession returns, the Bishop walks over the Carpet followed by the children. The finished Carpet is on view from the Wednesday morning of 26th May from 9.30am until 7pm and again from 9.30am on the following day before the celebration of Corpus Christi itself. The service can be seen on the Cathedral 24hr live stream here: https://arundelcathedral.uk

Carpet of Flowers 2026 The carpet of flowers is designed to be enjoyed, but has a deeper meaning. The flowers pave the way for Christ, the King of Kings, to be carried by the Bishop as he walks with the Blessed Sacrament, the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ with bread and wine. The beauty of the flowers and the skill that went into designing and laying the carpet of flowers are sacrificed to God, acknowledging that He is the Master and Lord of all creation. Click this link to see how the 2025 carpet was made – https://arundelcathedral.uk/view-corpus- christi-drone-and-floral-displays-2025 As the Cathedral celebrated 150yrs in 2023, BBC cameras filmed the ‘Corpus Christi’ service for their ‘Songs of Praise’ programme. Some of our children could be seen in that programme. To watch an excerpt from the programme follow this link - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fzc5bp