Rogation is celebrated by many parishes, especially in rural areas, to seek God’s blessing on the community, the land, the crops and animals. It’s marked in many ways often with an outdoor service or Rogation walk also known as ‘Beating the Bounds’ when a parish will walk its boundaries give prayers to God along the route. Rogation is celebrated on the Sunday before Ascension Day and is a tradition dating back many centuries.
Revd Christopher Durrant, Rector of the Upper Itchen Benefice said, “The word rogation is said to originate from the Latin robigalia, meaning rust or mould. Or from the Latin rogare, meaning to ask. Prayers would be asked of God to spare crops from such disease. Rogation celebrations also find their origin from the Latin terminalia, meaning boundaries: the beating of the bounds. During a procession, the traditional markers of a parish such as old trees, large rocks, or gates were once beaten to reinforce the edges of community.”
He added, “George Herbert, the archetype of rural clergy, wrote the following reasons in “A priest to the Temple” some 400 years ago to encourage parish rogation: ‘First, a blessing of God for the fruits of the field; secondly, justice in the preservation of the bounds; thirdly, charity in loving walking, and neighbourly accompanying one another, with reconciling differences at that time, if there be any; fourthly, mercy in relieving the poor by a liberal distribution and largesse which at that time is or ought to be used.’”
Here’s how some parishes in our diocese marked Rogation Sunday…
St Andrew’s, Owslebury Parish
Owslebury Parish held their first Rogation walk in many years, partly to celebrate achieving the Silver Eco Church award last year. 27 people of all ages took part and were blessed with good weather. It was organised by Eco champion Belinda Smith and Churchwarden Penny Harvey who wrote:
We organised a Beating the Bounds walk around Owslebury Parish on Rogation Sunday. It was the opportunity to revive an ancient tradition and introduce a walk that joined up many favourite rambles. We started with a briefing and a prayer in the church, and each took a stone and stopped to build a cairn to mark the boundary. It was 17km all round, which included a very welcome stop for tea and cake, generously hosted by the Cookes (who are actually from the Morestead parish but whose house is right on the boundary with Owslebury). Another parishioner kindly drove our support car with water and fruit and met us at a number of way marks. A fabulous spring day, a revived tradition, new friendships made, and great memories created. It was a real blessing and great joy to do it.
Benefice of Sherfield on Loddon and Stratfield Saye with Hartley Wespall with Stratfield Turgis and Bramley
The benefice ‘Beating the bounds’ walk started with bacon rolls at St Leonard’s Church in Sherfield on Loddon. 10 children and 32 adults from the churches and wider parishes set off to visit the other 3 churches in the Benefice: St Mary’s Hartley Wespall, St Mary’s Stratfield Saye and finishing the 12 mile walk at St James, Bramley. Some managed one half of the walk and some completed the whole journey, but everyone, including non-walkers from the whole benefice, joined together at the end for a BBQ.
Revd Mark Anderson said, “Our walk around all four churches of the benefice helps to build awareness of how we are four churches working together, builds community as people meet and spend time with one another and helps people to appreciate and value the places they may not visit as much as their own parish.”
St. James’ Church, Beauworth
Two parishes of the Upper Itchen Benefice routinely celebrate Rogation Sunday – St. James’ in Beauworth and St. Michael & All Angel’s in Cheriton. Both churches are ideally placed in the hearts of their villages to process between rivers or wells, fields of crops, livestock paddocks, village greens, and churchyards.
Revd Christopher Durrant said, “All these areas are given the blessings of scripture readings, holy water sprinkling, and treading underfoot. Alternate years we also rogate the entire benefice, walking as pilgrims between all seven church buildings of the six parishes. This takes a leisurely six hours or so, with stations for prayer and tea and cake, or ice-cream if hot weather. As George Herbet wrote, these are beautiful opportunities to reconnect with the goodness of the land and with one other.”
Northanger Benefice
The Northanger Benefice held its annual Rogation walk with a service led by Revd John Ellison. Around 30 people with one baby and several dogs enjoyed a beautiful but somewhat breezy walk from St Leonard’s Hartley Mauditt to St Nicholas West Worldham and gave thanks to God for the natural world and asked his blessing on it.
Revd Lesley Leon said, “The annual Northanger Benefice Rogation Walk on 25th May took place between the ancient churches of the joint parish of St Leonard, Hartley Mauditt and St Nicholas, West Worldham. These beautiful rural churches are surrounded by farmland and the walk halts at various places to pray for the farming community and to ask God’s blessing on the growing season that it will lead to fruitful harvests. The walk was led this year by Rev John Ellison, a member of the clergy team, who lives in the parish and celebrated his 88th birthday four days later. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon of prayer, song and celebration finishing with afternoon tea at St Nicholas which was much appreciated by the many walkers.”
Revd John said, “The annual Rogation Walk that I led this year was a privilege as my wife Helen and I live near St.Leonard’s Hartley Mauditt and members of our family have been involved in the church for the last sixty years. I have led services here for more than twenty years now. The service on a Sunday afternoon begins in one of our churches and we walk with parishioners to the other ancient church accompanied by dogs and families. The churches are half a mile apart, we pass and stop by a pond, a cornfield a family garden, a farmyard and pray. Such an occasion needs fine weather and we pray for a fine day! Rarely have we been disappointed.”
St Mary’s Church, Sholing
Members of St Mary’s church family ‘Beat the Bounds’ around Sholing parish and as they walked, they chatted and prayed for God’s blessing on all of those who live, work, study or visit their area of Southampton.
Revd Garry Roberts said, “Whilst ‘Beating the Bounds’ may not be a necessity these days (historically the very important task of showing people where the jurisdiction and responsibilities of their parish extended to and ensuring neighbouring parishes had not trespassed or moved the boundary stones) it is still a powerful thing to do. 13 human members and one canine set off from the Vicarage for the 6 mile walk around the Parish boundary. Picking up another 2 humans and another dog a mile in we continued onwards and at the half way point some of our children headed back home for a rest and we were joined by others. We paused at various locations such as the Veracity Rec, schools, colleges, fire station. Our Churchwarden Mick treated us to an ice cream just over half way round. Those who made it back to the Vicarage were treated by Nicky who provided tea and carrot cake. It was such an enjoyable time with the opportunity to chat to those who we came across on our journey and pray for them. It may be an ancient tradition but as with many traditions they can be revived and still relevant for a 21st century world.”
