Circumambulation

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Arimor

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Could someone please confirm when fulfilling any form of promise which involves saying prayers walking around a church, is this traditionally done clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Many thanks.
 
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Possibly, but this is old-school Portuguese Catholicism. People would pray for a favour and make a promise that if the favour was granted, they would then fulfil said promise by, e.g. praying the rosary whilst walking on their knees around a church or up a long flight of steps etc.
 
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What he’s referring to is a vow. It’s when you promise a saint to do something in exchange for his/her intercession.
 
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If I had to guess I’d say anticlockwise, in the same direction as the Stations of the Cross.
 
This is also an old Celtic tradition, originating in pagan ritual but which has become a common feature of Irish Catholic pilgrimage traditions.

At the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, people circumambulate the church anti clockwise.

At the stations of St. Patrick on Croagh Patrick, people circumambulate anti-clockwise.

At Saint Patrick’s Purgatory, people circumambulate clockwise.

At Teampall Colmcille in Gartan, the birthplace of St. Columba, people circumambulate anti clockwise.

Conclusion: Depends on the tradition of the particular shrine or church. If in doubt, just go whatever way you think is best.

Final piece of advice, remember that there is no power in the act of circumambulation, it has no value in itself, it serves merely as a reminder of our need to place the faith at the centre of all our actions, that our actions must “orbit” the faith so to speak.
 
Thank you very much for all your responses, and examples given, very much appreciated. I had a gut feeling it would be anti-clockwise, so that’s what I’ll go with.

Many thanks.
 
Are you in Portugal, or going there? If you ever find out the true facts of the case, please come back here and let us know!
 
Arimor said:
Possibly, but this is old-school Portuguese Catholicism.
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Then provide one single reference in credible literature to that fact !!!
StillWandering said:
originating in pagan ritual
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When you enter any church the stations of the cross are disposed the way they are - in brief, you’d have a problem and are attributing superstition to any church you enter. (which is obviously incorrect…)
 
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No need to be petulant… The post interested some people.

NOTE: we speak here of popular devotion, which is a part of who the catholicism was lived/ or is lived. And some popular devotion come from the christianisation of paganism. It is not a problem, or an offense to say that.
 
Never heard of such a promise. Do tell! As to such, are you left handed or right handed? Odd question, I know, but it may make a difference in how natural it feels.

I’m left-handed, so I pray the Rosaryclockwise using my left fingers - that may be the opposite of others.
 
Currently visiting family in Madeira. It’s a small village church. In English I guess it would be called ‘Our Lady of Good Dispatch’.

Like most village churches over here, it enjoys an annual festival, and in the case of this particular church, the parishioners venture to the hilltops to pick lilies, and then make their way down to the church, whilst singing traditional folk songs, to then adorn the church & statue of the Virgin Mary with the flowers, in preparation for the festival.

Here’s a couple of pics so you get the gist:

https://images.app.goo.gl/2qirqzPm3NULLz1h6

https://images.app.goo.gl/YySYS8H1cckhBLQz5
 
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Very beautiful flowers! Thanks you.
Seems a event with is a link between profane and faith? Popular devotion, if we resume?
 
adgloriam said:
When you enter any church the stations of the cross are disposed the way they are - in brief, you’d have a problem and are attributing superstition to any church you enter. (which is obviously incorrect…)
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I wasn’t referencing the positioning of the Stations of the Cross, I was referencing the traditional practice in certain parts of Europe, particularly Portugal, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, of walking around, ritually, an object, place or building. This practice, called “circumambulation” is first attested in Europe among the Celtic Gauls in Caesars “The Gallic Wars”. The practice was widespread in Celtic cultures and was transferred into the popular practice of Christianity when those peoples converted.

The best example I can think of is that of St. Patrick’s Purgatory in Lough Derg, Ireland.

You can see pictures and a description of the rituals here:
http://liminalentwinings.com/nine-stations-lough-derg/
 
I’m right-handed and pray the rosary anti-clockwise, guess that’s why the latter probably seems more natural to me…?
 
“circumambulation” is a word that I have seen many times in XIXth and XXth century archives- prior to Concil, I guess. It was very common.

And “circumabulation” is also a word that I have heard from pro-life activits when they annouced their street prayers in reparation- or in prevention of abortion. (so around a “profane” building…)
 
Anicette said:
No need to be petulant
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The adjective petulant means a personal characteristic conductive to asking invasive, abusive or disrespectful questions.

None was the case, I asked an assertive question regarding the false assertion that a specific catholic religious practice (associated to nationalities and ethnicity) is explicitly superstitious - which it is not btw.
 
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