Rogation Sunday

For the Rogation Sunday service Fr. McGrath introduced us to a new (to us) custom. He noted that in England it's been a very old practice to conduct a procession, asking for God's blessings on the fields, gardens, and orchards as the procession passes through. We don't have fields or orchards but we do have gardens, so we processed by them. (Maybe we'll be blessed with fewer weeds...?)

Led by the Thurifer and Crucifer, and with Fr. McGrath in his cope at the rear, we processed out the side door, down the driveway to the entry from Avondale Road, up the dirt path to the walkway, past the Fr. Leen Education Building and into the church. During the procession we read the Litany. I was surprised that it continued all the way through the procession.

Then the altar, Fr. Daniel and the congregation were censed and the thurible taken out. At that point there wasn't quite the mad rush to open the windows I had expected; I know a few of our members don't like incense very much.

We had visitors today. It was with some surprise we heard that one couple, who have moved here from Georgia, said that they'd been directed to us by Fr. McAughey (I hope I have the spelling right). One of our members said, "Our Father McAughey?!?" The very same -- he was our vicar from late 1979 until 1982. Somebody suggested that word be passed on to Fr. McAughey that we need a picture of him for our "rogues gallery." (We also noted that although we have one of Archbishop Morse, we don't have one of Bishop Provence either.)

Update: We will have special visitors next Sunday, Takeji and Kyoko from Japan. Takeji and I have been colleagues on a couple of committees for almost 10 years.