SILVER ROSE SILVER ROSE CELEBRATION MODEL-A TRANSFER FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TO GEORGIA

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1 SILVER ROSE SILVER ROSE CELEBRATION MODEL-A TRANSFER FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TO GEORGIA The Silver Rose Run is the most widely celebrated adoration to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas by the Knights of Columbus throughout North America. The Silver Rose, honoring our Blessed Mother, is traditionally transferred from South Carolina to Georgia. There is a Knights of Columbus protocol to be observed for the event. It includes a procession into the Church, Liturgy, Mass, transfer and a reception afterwards. This KofC event is different than the December 12 th feast day celebration. The following is a set of guidelines and protocol for the day of the event. PREPARATION NOTE. The Georgia transferring District Deputy for the event will coordinate directly with the adjacent Georgia District Deputy to insure the Silver Rose and the Liturgy Booklets successfully arrive and are delivered to the Event Chairman prior to the event. Before the event- A tall stand for the Rose is placed in front of an easel to the right of the base of the altar facing the altar. The easel is for the framed image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is carried in the procession behind the Rose. The framed image of Our Lady is provided by the parish. Six Sir Knights in Tuxedos and Social Baldric are used as ushers. They will help reserve pews for participating KofC officers and the combined Honor Guard. Two ushers are to be stationed at both sides of the center aisle at the right and left front pews. They should have seating diagrams and instructions for directing the seating of officers and wives as they approach each row in procession from front to back. Reserving seating must be provided in the first front row near the center isle for the two State Deputies and their wives. Two additional ushers are stationed in the vestibule. One is the head usher. Each is positioned on either side to provide seating direction to

2 2 non-participating parishioners and visitors and to assist the handicapped. As the procession enters the vestibule, and to avoid conflict, the two vestibule ushers begin directing lay parishioners and visitors to use the two outer aisles for open seating. Additional ushers are stationed at each side entrance. They are also instructed to provide seating direction to non-participating parishioners and visitors and to assist the handicapped. The ushers are responsible for distributing the Silver Rose Liturgy booklets delivered by the transferring District Deputy evenly to the pews. Sharing of booklets is anticipated. The Ushers also need to be responsible for collecting the booklets at the exits and pews and boxing for transfer with the Silver Rose to the next District and event. ORDER OF THE PROCESSION AND PROTOCOL The Event Procession Director (EPD) chosen by the overall Event Chairman takes charge of organizing and staging the procession at a designated marshalling place outside the Church in the Order of Procession as prescribed by Knights of Columbus protocol. NOTE. The event Chairman may choose to seat KofC officers before the procession in case of bad weather or to shorten the procession length. The EPD will provide the Combined Honor Guard Commander (CHGC) and each key procession element with an outline of the order of. The EPD is not a procession participant. He must be eyes on the procession from beginning to end so as to anticipate and correct any error as needed for a smooth and total success. The combined KofC Honor Guard will consist of units from local and visiting Assemblies. The CHGC will instruct the combined Honor Guard on the protocol, commands and their designated seating. As soon as the procession begins moving towards the Church, the EPD enters the Church at the right side entrance and stations in the wing near the Rose table and easel and prepares to motion any direction needed to assure the Image of Our Lady and the Rose are correctly positioned for the Rose transfer and blessing.

3 3 NOTE. This is a photo opportunity. The photographer should be briefed by the Event Chairman or PR specialist on what to capture in the series of photos beginning with the entering procession, transfer, blessing and ceremony before moving to the reception after Mass. To begin, the Honor Guard will form directly behind the cross bearer. They are followed by the South Carolina State Deputy carrying the Rose on a pillow. He is joined by the Georgia State Deputy and their wives. They will all process immediately behind the Honor Guard. They are followed by a Hispanic man carrying a large framed Image of our Lady of Guadalupe and followed by a model Hispanic family in native festive dress. Following the Hispanic family are the KofC officers by rank if not already seated, followed by the clergy and the Bishop. The Honor Guard walking in two columns halts at a prescribed position without conflicting with officer seating. The CHGC gives the command to uniformly face the procession isle, draw swords and present swords. The procession of officers, if not already seated, and clergy then continues past the two facing Honor Guard columns. Except for the two State Deputies, their wives and the carrier of the Lady s image, all other officers and wives are seated as a group in reserved pews on the right side of the Church from the front facing the altar to the back. The two State Deputies and their wives are to be seated at the beginning of the first pew near the center aisle. After the Bishop passes the Honor Guard, the Guard retires to reserved pews at the rear of the church. The South Carolina State Deputy with the Silver Rose, the Georgia State deputy and their wives proceed towards the right side of the altar base and stand near the Rose table and the easel. The Lady s image carrier places the image on the easel and retires to be seated with the model Hispanic family in a reserved pew on the left side of the center aisle near the front of the church. The two Deputies and their wives remain standing as they await the arrival of the Bishop. The EPD is also there in the wing to provide guidance. ROSE BLESSING AND TRANSFER NOTE. This is a photo opportunity. The bishop arrives at the altar and welcomes everyone. He proceeds to the two standing State Deputies and the Silver Rose. The South Carolina State Deputy transfers the Rose to the Georgia State Deputy. The Bishop then blesses the Rose with holy water for the journey through Georgia. The

4 4 Georgia State Deputy then places it on the stand in front of the image of our Lady of Guadalupe. Both deputies and their wives are then seated on the first pew on the right facing the altar with other officers and wives. THE SILVER ROSE LITURGY NOTE. The parish pastor and the Bishop will coordinate and pre-determine how the Liturgy and Mass will be celebrated by the clergy. The assigned Clergy for the Silver Rose Liturgy addresses the attendees and begins the Liturgy for all to follow with the booklets provided. At the end of the Liturgy, someone from the mike needs to announce that all booklets be left in the pew for collection and transfer for the next event. They are not souvenirs. THE MASS CELEBRATION NOTES. The Bishop is the Celebrant of the Mass. The parish Pastor and other clergy may be co-celebrants. Bilingual announcements need to include the following. There is a reception after the Mass in the parish hall. The Silver Rose will be taken there and displayed for all to see. Please exit your pews and the church from the side isles so that the exiting procession can flow smoothly through the center aisle. EXIT PROCESSION The Celebrant s blessing and go in peace is a signal for the Georgia State Deputy and his wife to remove the Rose and pillow and prepare to follow the clergy and the cross out of the church. Simultaneously, the Lady s Image carrier removes the Image and prepares to follow the Silver Rose. The order of exit procession is the cross bearer, followed by the bishop, clergy and altar servers, followed by the Georgia State Deputy with the Rose and his wife, followed by Our Lady s Image carrier and the Hispanic family, Followed by the Honor Guard, the South Carolina Deputy and wife and followed by the remaining KofC officers and wives according to the Order of Procession.

5 5 THE RECEPTION A head table should be set up for the Bishop, Chaplain and State Deputies, wives and other state dignitaries. The Event District Deputy should thank everyone and ask for any head table remarks and a blessing for the food. The Rose and the Image should be displayed in front of the table all to view and photograph. The Rose should be guarded. INTERSTATE TRANSFER. The Event District Deputy is responsible for the complete and safe transfer of the Silver Rose and Liturgy Booklets to the next receiving District in keeping with their jointly determined time and place. John Carbonell State Silver Rose Chairman Georgia Council Knights of Columbus (912) johnc@supersmartcommunities.com