“The Church has always liked to pray as we process,” said Father Tom Margevicius, noting the familiar hymn “When the Saints Go Marching In.” “The actual moving as we go through a liturgical or devotional activity, walking together from point A to point B, is something of a symbol of the whole Christian life.”
A rosary procession, such as the annual Candlelight Rosary Procession Oct. 1 from the State Capitol in St. Paul to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, is an opportunity to say, “We acknowledge we’re not the first ones to do this,” said Father Margevicius, director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Father Tom Margevicius
Thousands of saints have preceded today’s Catholics in their own faith journeys, he said, including the Blessed Mother, who walked her faith journey with great virtue and grace.
“And we want her to accompany us in ours as well,” he said.
Father Margevicius recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss the procession, which starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. “Lining up” begins at 6:15.
October is the month of the rosary, with Oct. 7 dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. On Oct. 1, Bishop Andrew Cozzens will gather with attendees on the south side of the Capitol for the rosary and procession. Participants will include members of the Knights of Columbus, seminarians from St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, “and many religious orders,” he said. In previous years, various ethnic communities have dressed in their solemn regalia and processed along, he said.
The procession is not “about us,” Father Margevicius said, but it involves offering prayers to the Lord and his Blessed Mother.
“We put ourselves at the greater glory of God,” he said.
Participants will walk through the streets because that’s where life is, Father Margevicius said.
“We don’t live our Catholic faith in isolation from the world, but immersed with, and in fact, called by God to help transform the world by his grace,” he said.
“Insofar as our whole lives are lived in the public sphere, and that’s where we practice our faith, then this mini journey, this rosary procession is doing that exactly in that way. We’re living our faith in the public sphere as a reminder that that’s what we’re called to do in all of our lives.”
Those unable to participate in person can view a livestream of the procession on the Cathedral of St. Paul Facebook page. To learn more, visit minnesotarosaryprocessions.org.
During the interview, Conley mentioned that October also brings Halloween and a focus by some on the occult. He asked Father Margevicius to address that, and asked what power our Blessed Mother has over Satan.
To hear Father Margevicius’ response and the full interview, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It airs at 9 p.m. Sept. 24, 1 p.m. Sept 25 and 2 p.m. Sept. 26 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who discusses how welcoming the stranger applies to the local Church, especially as humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and Haiti continue, and Sergio Barrera, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan, who shares his faith journey there.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at:
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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