For thousands of years

Automatically stored design

There are parish parades in Köttmannsdorf on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day.(Bild: Pfarre Köttmannsdorf UM)

Like the ancient Romans and Germanic tribes, people still pray for sun, rain and good growth in the fields today.

Of course, it was always immensely important that the yield from the fields could feed families. Prayers for a rich harvest and good weather, protection from hail, frost and other forces of nature were therefore always part of religious practice - even among the ancient Romans and Germanic tribes. Elements of their customs were adopted by Christianity, where there is evidence of petition days and petition processions since the 4th century. At that time, believers went praying across the fields on St. Mark's Day, April 25th.

In the 5th century, following earthquakes and crop failures in southern France, Bishop Mamertus of Vienne ordered three days of atonement before Ascension Day - including fasting and petitionary processions. Pope Leo III adopted this custom for the entire Roman Church in the 8th century.

Petition days and petition processions

Numerous days of supplication at https://www.kath-kirche-kaernten.at/dioezese/detail/C2488/traditionelle-bitttage-vor-christi-himmelfahrt-in-vielen-kaerntner-pfarren3

In the three days before Ascension Day on May 9, the faithful still come together in many Carinthian parishes to cultivate this tradition - including in Klagenfurt, where the parishes of St. Martin and St. Josef-Siebenhügel process to Maria Loretto on Tuesday, where a joint service is celebrated at 6 pm.