By Barnes Mawrie
Come November! It is a month of excitement for the thousands of Catholics in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills. The second Sunday of this month has always remained an important day in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Shillong. The event we are talking about is the Proseshon-bah (Grand Eucharistic Procession) which is a religious festival for the Catholics of Northeast India. This religious festival has its origin in the early 1900’s initiated by the Salvatorian missionaries as a popular devotion to the Holy Eucharist. The founder of the Salvatorians, Fr. Jordan, was a great devotee of the Holy Eucharist and so he infused this devotion among his followers. This popular devotion was introduced by the Salvatorians in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills in the form of an annual procession on the feast of Corpus Christi. Of course, in those early years, it was a humble function with a handful of believers participating in it.
With the arrival of the Salesian missionaries in 1922, this popular devotion got a boost and with the growing number of believers, it became a notable event in the city. When Fr. Constantine Vendrame (now a servant of God on the path to sainthood) took over as the parish priest of Laitumkhrah in 1925, he gave great importance to it and turned it into a grand religious festival. The common practice was a three-day preparation which is known as triduum (in Latin meaning three days). In those days when there were no motor cars, people had to walk on foot. Therefore, the believers coming from distant places to participate in the Proseshon-bah, would arrive in Laitumkhrah early in the week. They were then put up in the classrooms, in the parish hall and in other nearby institutions like Don Bosco Technical School, St. Mary’s School etc. The days of triduum were well organized consisting of catechesis, prayers, fun and games and religious bioscopes in the evening. In fact, there used to be a lot of noise during those three days and Laitumkhrah would go hussy buzzy with the throng of people who were there.
In the 1970s when I was a small boy, I still recall how we were all excited when the Proseshon-bah drew near. It used to be customary that on this day our parents would buy us new clothes and new pairs of shoes. During the weekdays before the event, Ïewduh and Police Bazaar would be thronged by thousands of people from villages who would come shopping for the great event. When finally the day arrived, the whole of Laitumkhrah would witness a sea of people. In those days there were not very many vehicles and so the roads were entirely free. The procession would commence at around 1.30 pm from the Cathedral ground and it would go along Dhankheti road passing through Fire Brigade ground, Police Point and then back to the Cathedral. The procession would take roughly two hours in those days when the crowd was not as massive as today. The procession would converge at the Calvary and it would conclude with the Benediction service usually presided over by Bishop Stephen Ferrando himself.
Some usual humorous scenes during these processions would be village people in particular who would carry their new pairs of shoes and walk barefooted because the new shoes pinched their feet; mothers attaching their children to themselves with safety pins so that they may not be lost in the crowd. Then invariably some children would be lost during the procession and announcement would be made at the end of the function followed by an emotional reunion between the parents and their crying children. It was customary too that at the end of the procession the parents would give their children a treat in the restaurants before they went home.
The Proseshon-bah has seen a great evolution today since the days it started. Some of the notable developments are first of all, the growing size of the crowd. From a few thousand people, today it has reached a few lakhs. In spite of the trifurcation of the archdiocese, the crowd has not diminished at all. The streets have become jam packed so much so it is almost impossible for anyone to get through. Because of the mammoth crowd the procession is taking more time than usual. Secondly, there is a greater display of multi-culturalism. During the Proseshon-bah today, we witness different ethnic groups of Catholics hailing from different parts of Northeast India who come to participate in it. This has added more beauty and elegance to the event and it manifests the universalism of the Church. It is beautiful to see different groups in their traditional costumes, praying and singing in their own languages. Therefore, the Proseshon-bah has evolved from being a local event to being a regional event. This religious festival has got sociological, ecclesiological, economic and cultural implications. Sociologically, it can be viewed as a manifestation of the community spirit that exists within a Church. Ecclesiologically, it is a strong vindication of the sensus ecclesiae where different ethnic groups profess the same faith in one place and at one time. Economically, this religious festival serves as a great means of income for the hundreds of hawkers, street vendors, restaurants and eateries. With the growing number of both pilgrims and tourists, this economic aspect is growing stronger each year. Culturally, the Proseshon-bah is a manifestation of the blending of cultures and the multi-cultural characteristics of the Church.
The most important aspect of the Proseshon-bah is the fact that it has become the most well-known Catholic religious festival in Northeast India. The event still retains its religious characteristics of being a peaceful, prayerful walk of faith. It is inspiring to witness such a multitude of people walking together, praying and singing together and with such discipline. In spite of the mammoth crowd, we have never heard till date any report of stampeding or any unruly behaviour. We have seen in the news of stampedes and death of persons in religious events like the Kumbh Mela and Kedarnath Yatra, but thanks to the sense of discipline of the Catholic communities, no such incident has ever taken place here.
The Proseshon-bah is a great manifestation of the strength and unity of the Catholic Church in our region. The only point of concern regarding this annual event, is the growing number of participants and the lack of space – an issue which the Church along with the Government can possibly address. Probably, this religious event has crossed a century and it has become a sacred heritage of the Church of our region. On Sunday November 10, this great event is going to take place once again and as usual parents and children are excited about it.