Processions

Yesterday we described the ceremony of the Descent from the Cross, as it has been practiced at St. Anne since 1893, on Good Friday. It's a special feature of the Stations of the Cross. The body of Christ is taken down from the cross and carried in procession through the church while the choir sings appropriate songs. A procession of the clergy and children carrying the instruments of the passion is part of this moving ceremony.

Processions are one of the many manifestations of Popular Devotions in the Church. I would like to elaborate on that today.

What Is a Procession?

You have a religious procession when clergy and faithful, usually walk together as a group, in a manifestation of faith. Processions may take place within a church or outside. You sometimes process from one church to another.

There are various reasons for having processions. It may be to give honor to God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or to some other saint. You may hold a procession in thanksgiving for a special blessing of God, like a good harvest, or peace; you may have a procession of a penitential character to ask forgiveness for a public scandal when, for example, a church has been desecrated by vandals and the sacred vessels stolen, or their contents strewn all over the place.

A procession is always accompanied by prayers and hymns.

In the Catholic Church, liturgical processions, regulated by Church law, are functional. Examples: funeral processions, offertory processions, or simply entrance and recessionals at Mass. Processions play an important part not only in the Liturgy, but still more in "Popular Devotions."

A Bit of History

Religious processions go back to the Old Testament times. During the journeying of the Israelites in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, the Ark of the Covenant, symbol of God's presence among his people, was carried in a procession by the Levites. Later, when the Israelites were settled in the Promised Land and David was king, the Ark was brought in a procession to Jerusalem amid shouts of joy, with psalms and the music of harps and lyres. David was so exuberant with joy on this occasion that he even danced before the Ark. That was truly a popular celebration, unregulated and uninhibited.

In our Catholic devotional life, we have processions for all sorts of occasions.

We have a solemn entrance procession for weddings; we have a procession of a different character at funerals, as we usher the coffin in the church.

In speaking of pilgrimages to the Holy Land, I mentioned the "Via dolorosa". Pilgrims carry a wooden cross and process through the narrow streets of the Holy City, following pretty closely the path Jesus walked as he carried his cross to Calvary. Along the way, we pause at different points recalling the traditional fourteen Stations of the Cross. We end up at Calvary, where Jesus was nailed to the cross and died. To walk in the footsteps of Jesus along the "Via dolorosa" is a popular devotion that is a very moving experience for a Christian. Something you cannot forget.

We try to keep that memory alive by making the Stations of the Cross in our churches. Here we have a miniature processions as we move from one station to another. A devotion rich in blessings that some people still practice but that is unfortunately not so popular as it used to be. I warmly recommend it to you. We have many booklets that can help yon meditate as you make the stations.

Corpus Christi processions: The monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament is often carried in an outdoor procession while the choir sings hymns to the Blessed Sacrament along the way. Sometimes, you have altars set up along the route where the procession stops for a pause and Benediction is given.

In Fall River, the Portuguese community have their own ethnic celebrations. These involve an elaborate procession in the neighborhood of the church for the feasts of Santo Christo and Espirito Santo. It is always very colorful. And can those Portuguese people sing! There is also in October every year a diocesan procession for peace honoring Our Lady of Fatima. We have a huge procession from St. Mary's Cathedral to St. Anne Church where a Mass is celebrated by the Bishop and a large number of concelebrant priests. St. Anne's Church fills up to capacity on that occasion. Here again we are uplifted by the fervor and gusto with which the Portuguese people sing their popular hymns they all know by heart. A perfect example of "Popular devotions" people love. It's part of their culture.

Church Processions at Saint Anne's

We used to have a tradition at St. Anne of having processions inside the church on Sundays, usually following Vespers. Each Sunday of the month, a different parish sodality did the honors.

It began in a limited way in the days of Father Montaubricq, the founding pastor. I quote here from a contemporary witness: "The Sunday of the Children of Mary, a small statue of the Blessed Virgin, adorned with flowers, was carried in procession in the church by the Children of Mary. This ceremony was most dear to the heart of the Reverend Father. He said it recalled the ceremonies of his native land (France)."

I still have fond memories going back to my childhood, when every Sunday evening, after vespers, we had processions around the church. On the 1st Sunday of the month, we had the Rosary procession, with the Children of Mary in the lead; the 2nd Sunday, it was the procession of the Holy Name, with the Holy Name men leading, accompanied by the boys' Sacred Heart League; the 3rd Sunday, we had the procession of the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament; finally, the 4th Sunday, we honored St. Anne, our patroness, with the Ladies of St. Anne leading the procession. We also had a society for the little girls called the Guardian Angels. These processed also the 4th Sunday of the month, all dressed in white.

The parishioners specially honored each Sunday, wore a distinctive badge or ribbon. The Children of Mary, if I remember wore a white veil. All these externals underlined the religious significance of these parish processions. These processions, with the painstaking preparations involved, were an expression of the faith and devotion of priests and faithful, who learned thereby to honor God and the saints in heaven. In so doing, their hearts were lifted up and their piety was effectively nurtured. Such is the power of "Popular devotions."

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