In this issue of the Regina Coeli Report we focus on processions. As an act of public worship, processions once played an important role in the life of the Catholic Church. Indeed, evidence of processions can be found in our liturgical worship, such as when the priest processes to the altar at every Mass. Over the course of the last century, however, processions started to dwindle.
Processions are an integral part of Catholicism. From the time of the Old Testament where the people of God would process with the Ark of the Covenant to Our Lord’s procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, these acts manifested public glorification of God. They are so important in fact that they are incorporated into the Church’s liturgy, such as the procession with candles at Candlemas, with palms on Palm Sunday, and with the Blessed Sacrament on Corpus Christi. Outside of the liturgy, perhaps the bestknown processions are those which take place on the Rogation days, those particularly solemn times during the year where the Litany of Saints is recited, and we beseech Almighty God for protection from calamities.
Regrettably, such acts of public devotion have decreased dramatically over the past 50 years. In America, for instance, religious worship is increasingly seen as a “private affair” that ought to be conducted behind closed doors, far away from the eyes of non-believers who may find themselves “offended” by such things. The pressures of secularization are strong.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon traditional Catholics to make processions a part of their liturgical life. There is no shame in professing the Faith openly and with fitting majesty, beauty, and reverence.
Also In This Issue:
• Letter from the District Superior
• Questions & Answers on the Rogation Days
• On the Corpus Christi Procession
• News & Photos from the District
