Submitted by Betsy Seyboldt - Holy Trinity, Onancock
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The Very Rev. Rick Willis at the dedication of a tree
in memory of those on the Eastern Shore
who died in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Rogation Days are an ancient custom observed since the 5th
century. The word Rogation comes from the Latin verb rogare , meaning
"to ask" and applied to the rogation days means to ask God's blessing of
the harvest, earth and sea, reminding ourselves that we are the
stewards of Creation. The Sixth Sunday of Easter is Rogation Sunday with
the so-called minor rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday preceding
Ascension Thursday, this week on May 21. An ancient custom was beating
the bounds: a procession walked out the boundary lines of the village
and marked the bounds with stakes. Sticks of willow and birch were used
to strike the stakes; hence the name, beating the bounds. Subsequently
the custom became incorporated into the Rogation Day celebration and was
observed by walking the boundaries of the parish and acknowledging our
tangible stewardship of God's creation.
Our dedication of the COVID-19 Memorial Tree is our way
of saying each person matters, that life is precious and those who die
are worth remembering. The parishioners of Holy Trinity want the friends
and families affected by the virus to know that there is a place on the
Shore where your loved one can be remembered; there is a safe, quiet
spot where you can come and sit and pray and reflect on the good
memories of your loved one.
