The following notes refer to most occasions for which a Solemn Procession is fitting, e.g., Feast Days. Special days which include Processions, such as the Litany in Procession, Palm Sunday, or Corpus Christi, are not covered here.

ENTRANCE
Incense is not laid on before Mass.

CEL and choir clergy wear copes.

ALL enter the short way via the north door in silence, or while the organ prelude is concluding, led by TH:

/\
TH
A CR A
CHOIR
VERGER
CHOIR CLERGY
TT
TT
MC
SD
D
CEL
/\

TH proceeds to altar steps on the right. A CR A, once they reach the choir floor, wheel to the right and remain standing against the south choir stall until CEL passes, at which time they wheel out to stand abreast facing the altar. TTTT take places outside the rail standing in front of the spaces between the medallions, facing the altar. MC, SD, D and CEL take their customary places at the altar steps. At MC’s cue, ALL except A CR A genuflect.

TH gives incense boat to D and opens thurible so that CEL may charge and bless incense. TH closes thurible, goes to center below rail, genuflects, and proceeds down to choir west of A CR A, facing altar.

D turns to congregation to bid the procession. After the response, D faces altar again.

Organist plays introduction to the processional hymn. This will often include a fanfare as well as the hymn play-through. As the play-through concludes, MC cues ALL to genuflect. As ALL except SD, D, and TTTT turn to face congregation, SD and D change places by going behind CEL, SD ascending a step higher than D. SD and D take edges of CEL’s cope. TTTT face across.

TH leads procession. A CR A should anticipate 360’s in center aisle and leave enough room for TH to swing freely.

At MC’s cue to innermost Gospel-side T, inner TT meet in center, turn to congregation and process out, followed similarly by outer TT.

ALL process in order up center (nave) aisle, right at the west door of the church, down north aisle, right across nave, up south aisle through Baptistery, and down center (nave) aisle to chancel. TH may do 360’s in center aisle and across the front of the church, but nowhere else during the procession.

In chancel, ALL take their pre-procession positions. At MC’s cue, ALL genuflect. As SMs ascend altar steps, all others go to their customary places, except TTTT who exit to sacristy to put up their torches and return to stools by Bishop’s throne.

SMs will most likely cense altar at this point, unless there is not enough hymn remaining in which case they will cense at the Gloria.

Mass proceeds as usual. When Procession concludes, CR collects copes from Choir clergy and discreetly removes them to sacristy. CR will also retrieve CEL’s cope when he changes into chasuble at Offertory.