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Saint Rosa Pray for Us
Monday 19 August 2024
In Sittard we honour Saint Rosa de Lima from Peru with a beautiful chapel on top of the hill and a procession for 355 years. The Procession is the last Sunday of august and one of the last processions of the Netherlands.
Saint Rosa from Lima was born on 20 April 1586 as Isabella de Flores de Olivia. She was a daughter of a Spanish couple. She lived a sober life with prayer and fasting. She showed an extraordinary calmness and self-control. In 1606 she became a member of the third Order of Saint Dominicus. Her characteristic were penance and spiritual life. Besides this she also was known for her embroidery work and her knowledge of flower growing. Some people called her a mystic.
In the second half of the 17th century, Sittard and its surroundings were plagued by a dysentery epidemic, which resulted in many deaths. The Dominican fathers who had settled in Sittard in 1626 ran a flourishing educational institution. They were also active in Peru in South America. Therefore, they were familiar with this first non-European blessed and later Saint Rosa. They advised the people of Sittard to call on Rosa as an advocate against the deadly treat of this epidemic. The city council accepted this advice and promised – if the epidemic would subside – to declare Rosa the city patroness saint. They also promised to build a chapel in honour of St. Rosa on the highest point of Sittard – on the Kollenberg – and to hold an annual procession. The dysentery epidemic passed the city by and the people of Sittard fulfilled the promise made!
355 years later and the people of Sittard honour her every year. Munisa Elephanti loves the tradition. It’s the connection to a higher goal in life. It’s a heavy walk-up hill. Especially, because you walk a procession pass. That’s slow and step by step. On top of the hill the chapel always shines. Munisa Elephanti loves to meditate here or just enjoy the view.
The procession starts at ‘de Markt’ where harmonies, scouting, sisters, acolytes, relics, the bishop and the faithful pray their way up. Once you arrive at the beautiful chapel service will take place. It’s that time where you can reflect on life. Since we all know what a pandemic is. It’s even more important to live your life with gratitude and grace. Once the procession walks back to ‘Markt’ it ends with a service in the St. Michael’s church. After the service the relics will be returned to their safe places and we enjoy a retro fair, drinks and food.
St. Rosa is an inspiration to Munisa Elephanti. She dedicated her life to inform people how to take care of themselves. How to be hygienic in this time of the epidemic. Unfortunately, she died at the age of only 31. After a fateful 15 years of long and painful illness full of desolation, insults and reproaches. We can never know when it is our time to leave the planet. That’s for sure. However, we can make a decision what we do with the time we have here on earth. Munisa Elephanti just like Rosa loves flowers and embroidery and some call me mystic too. A saint we’re definitely not! Hihihi! Munisa Elephanti is sure about that.
So, mark in your agenda every last Sunday of August you need to be in Sittard. To enjoy and experience a procession that’s 355 years old. Nowadays you would call it a retreat or mindful walk. The procession to honour St. Rosa is much deeper that you can ever experience. Even Ibiza can’t top this 😉. Click on the link below to learn more about St. Rosa from the St. Rosa Committee.
