Roman Catholic Festival – Beautiful May Rites at Denaby

May 1923

Mexborough & Swinton Times, May 26

Roman Catholic Festival

Beautiful May Rites at Denaby

The May festivities of the Roman Catholic Church, Denaby Main, drew a large crowd to the football ground on Sunday evening, when the young members of the church paid their tribute of flowers to the Madonna.

A procession was formed of the choir, carrying the banners of their saintly orders, the maidens dressed in various colours, and the tiny children, among whom were a little girl representing Joan of Arc, and one who had b been chosen by her fellows to carry the floral crown. Four of the elder girls, draped in white and veiled, supported the Blessed Virgin.

The entrance to the football field was packed with people attracted by the brilliant sunshine and the picturesque nature of the procession and ceremony. In the sports ground, a large semi=-circle was arranged in front of the figure of the Madonna, which was guarded by eight maidens dressed in white and veiled: “The children of Mary”. Facing this shrine was a little group of infants in pale blue, the May Queen (Elizabeth Finn) carrying the crown of flowers. Groups of children stood facing the Madonna and the effect of the various contrasted colours, purple, green, red, blue with the predominance of white, was extremely charming.

After prayers and hymns, Father Leteux described the meaning of this ritual. The different coloured dresses symbolised the chief virtues of Mary. Purple represented the violet, the symbol of humanity; white, the lily, symbol of purity; red, the rose, symbol of charity, and so on. Mary, the Mother of God, was the embodiment of all the womanly virtues, and the flowers which were offered in gratitude by the children were a tribute of homage. Each little one vowed to model her life on the ideals represented by the Madonna. Chivalry, generosity and courage, on the one hand and the womanly virtues on the other, purity, charity and humility, when these were sought for with religious devotion, then the great problems of the day would soon be dispelled.

The offering of flowers and the crowning of the figure of May followed the address.

The various groups then formed into a procession and returned to the church, the choir leading and the figure of May, held on high brought up the rear. The crowd, which had lined the whole route of the procession, packed the church, where the Benediction was pronounced and the ceremony concluded.

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