The ancient Gang-days.

For a thousand years and more
we Catholics
in the true belief of all tribes and tongues and nations,
from pole to pole,
from the rising to the setting sun
-a worldwide people-
still sing
the notes of that sublime
and heart-awakening Litany of the Saints
in our services.
(C.f. Rock, The Church of our Fathers, Vol. 3, p. 181.)

Beginning from the earliest periods
of Anglo-Saxon Church history,
we find that the Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday
in Ascension week,
were called gang-days,
through the custom of
ganging or walking in religious processions;
now they are known as the Rogation days.

A writer in Queen Mary's reign
-1553- 1558-
tells us how
"in gaune wyke callyd Rogasyon weke
"in gang week called Rogation week
they whent a prosessyon with baners in dyvers plases...
they went (in) a procession with banners in diverse places...
and they had good chere after."
and they had good cheer afterwards."

All that is growing in
Our Lady's Garden
is blessed during the Rogation prayers.

This year for the first time
the Kiwifruit have flowered!
They may continue to encumber the land!

Holy water is sprinkled to the
four points of the compass.

The Litany of the Saints continues on
during the procession back to the altar.

The Holy Sacrifice is celebrated

with chant and incense
that go back through the mists of time
... even to the liturgy offered in
the Temple of Jerusalem.

(Rock, The Church of our Fathers)