The story behind ‘Big Jesus’

The large monstrance which has colloquially been called ‘big Jesus’ was an attraction for the faithful during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the Eucharistic Congress on May 10, at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Sharing the inception of the idea, in an interview at the Congress, Fr Jesse Maingot OP said many years ago during Covid-19 lockdown, he had the opportunity to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration when he was still based in Ireland.

“The Lord put on my heart to have a festival one day with a big host, big Jesus. And when I came back, His Grace in his heart was to have a Eucharistic Congress in the Jubilee Year… We wanted to do that in the right liturgical way,” Fr Maingot said.

The 15-inch host in the luna was made at the Rosary Monastery. He surmised it could be the biggest host consecrated for an event in T&T. Fr Maingot added, “it is a historical moment I think.”

Different options were explored for building the monstrance and it “took different turns”, eventually a Catholic businessman stepped forward willing to accept the challenge.

Fr Maingot said the businessman and his wife, “love the Lord. His wife helps me in ministry with children in [the] Diego Martin area”. A “portable altar” to transport the monstrance was also made which allowed it to be carried around the Oval for Adoration and Benediction.

Fr Maingot worked with the businessman for the design and creation. The monstrance was made with brass, gold aluminum and gold plating on the inside “so the Lord is on precious metal,” Fr Maingot said. The monstrance is in a traditional stye and was built three weeks before the Congress. “He did a lot of work,” Fr Maingot said.

Responding to the impact of the huge monstrance, Fr Maingot said, “We wanted a big setting, so people understand the greatness of the Lord, the majesty of the Lord. The bigger the host does not mean Jesus is more present, in our Catholic faith, small host, a little fragment of the Host. Jesus [is] fully, entirely present, but it helps us enter into the mystery of His presence by the size, the majesty and we wanted the greatness of the Lord. He is the Alpha and the Omega.”

Fr Maingot was happy to say that everything related to the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was done locally including the vestments used by the clergy—Frs Maingot, Robert Christo, Simon Peter Ango, Kwesi Alleyne and Puliyammakkal Santhosh MSFS— who accompanied the Blessed Sacrament in procession.

The monstrance was taken to the Church of the Holy Spirit, Malabar for perpetual adoration, Sunday, May 11 to Monday 19. Fr Maingot disclosed the monstrance will be a “pilgrim monstrance” and also used for special events.

Editor’s note: The pilgrim monstrance is now at La Divina Pastora RC Church, Siparia.