Practice and Practicalities
The Processions
A Rosary Procession is an ordered public prayer — a group of the faithful walking together, praying the Rosary aloud, often with a banner of Our Lady, a crucifix, and (where appropriate) accompanying hymns.
The practice is ancient. It is documented in the Dominican tradition from the thirteenth century, in the confraternities of Renaissance Italy, and in the parish life of nineteenth-century Ireland and the United States. What we call the "Rosary Procession Crusade" is a modest, contemporary attempt to keep the practice alive in a country that no longer remembers it.
Upcoming Processions · Bay Area
The next three walks
- Saturday, 7 OctoberFeast of Our Lady of the RosaryCorte Madera, California
Assembly at 9:30 AM at the parish steps.
- Saturday, 8 DecemberSolemnity of the Immaculate ConceptionSan Rafael, California
Procession begins after the 10 AM Mass.
- Sunday, 25 MarchSolemnity of the AnnunciationSausalito, California
Route posted one week prior. Write for details.
Processions in other regions are announced by correspondence. Write to info@rosaryprocession.org to be added to the notification list for a specific state or diocese.
The Order of a Procession
What actually happens on the day
A Rosary Procession, in its simplest form, follows a clear pattern. It has a beginning, an ordered middle, and a defined end. The order below is what we typically recommend to parishes and lay groups writing to us for guidance.
Assembly
The faithful gather at a starting point — usually the steps of a parish church — thirty minutes before the procession begins. A brief instruction is given by the priest or a lay coordinator: the intention of the day, the route, and the order in which the Mysteries will be prayed.
Order of walking
A crucifix leads. Behind it, a banner of Our Lady of the Rosary. Behind the banner, servers or torch-bearers if the parish tradition provides them. Behind those, the priest, then the faithful in ordered pairs. The procession moves at a walking pace suitable for the oldest participants.
The prayer
Each decade is announced by a lector. The Our Father is prayed in unison, followed by the ten Hail Marys in alternation between the leader and the assembly. The Glory Be closes each decade. Between decades, a short Marian hymn may be sung, or the procession may walk in silence for a few minutes of interior recollection.
Closing
The procession returns to the point of origin — often the church — where the Litany of Loreto is sung and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is given if a priest is present. A written record of the procession's intentions is kept, and the intentions are remembered in the parish's daily Mass for the octave that follows.
If you would like to organize one
Six practical steps
- Speak first with your pastor. A Rosary Procession is a parish devotion, and it properly begins with the consent of the parish priest. If your parish does not have a tradition of processions, offer to organize a small one on a Saturday morning as a first step.
- Plan a short, safe route. Your first procession should be modest — a loop of no more than a quarter mile, staying on sidewalks, returning to the church. Longer processions can be planned in later years.
- Notify local authorities if required. Most quiet religious processions require no permit when they remain on sidewalks and observe traffic signals. For larger processions, or those that require any street closure, contact the municipal non-emergency line at least six weeks in advance.
- Prepare a leaflet. A single-sheet leaflet with the Mysteries, the Litany, and the closing prayer is enough. The Crusade shares a template in Word and PDF form on request.
- Practice the announcements. A lector should rehearse the announcement of each Mystery and the opening prayer. Nothing dampens a procession's spirit like confusion at the moment of prayer.
- Write to us. Send a note to info@rosaryprocession.org with the date, parish, and intention of your procession. We will hold your community in prayer on the morning of the walk.