Since you don't live in OF world
The custom, referred to in many places as the “Churching of Women” was retained in the Church until very recent times . . . In pre-Reformation days, it was the custom in Catholic England for women to carry lighted tapers when being churched, an allusion to the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin (February 2), and also celebrated as Candlemas, the day chosen by the Catholic Church for the blessing of the candles for the whole year.
in the Roman Catholic Church, it is only found in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite and in Anglican Ordinariate parishes.
What I would suggest is this:
I wonder how many folks have seen anything like this in the last 50 years?
With all due respect, this sounds kinda hokey.
And, rather interestingly:
in the Roman Catholic Church, it is only found in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite and in Anglican Ordinariate parishes.
I've met a few who experienced it - some even who left the church because of it - none have nice things to say about what it symbolises.
My wife has had this blessing 7 times
How many around here are, say, under 35?
When did this disappear from current usage? With the NO?
(If it's any consolation, we didn't have any women who had given birth in the last twelve months, so they were spared this 'chauvinistic superstitious rite'.)
And these are the children who now sing with your choir? Tom, you sound truly blessed.
It is customary for mothers to go to Church, as soon as they are able to go out again, to be "Churched". The Ceremony consists in a special Blessing, which recalls the visit of The Holy Family at The Temple of Jerusalem for The Presentation of Our Lord and The Purification of The Blessed Virgin.
The BVM could and did do many things. But surely no one regarded her as ritually unclean after having given birth - she was after all still a virgin!
Perhaps we might benefit from their example without trying to justify ourselves by claiming the times have changed.
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