Summary

The Feast of Saint Michael is recounted through the experience of a young girl observing a procession in a chapel, where her sister Susan carries a heavy, golden icon, and a fellow girl's veil catches fire during the ceremony.

Abstract

The narrative describes an evening prayer during the Feast of Saint Michael, where three young girls, including the narrator's sister Susan, participate in a procession within a chapel shrouded in darkness. Susan, the smallest girl, is tasked with carrying a valuable and heavy icon of Saint Michael, adorned with gold and glass. The girls, dressed in white, maintain a serious and important demeanor throughout the ritual. Amidst the reverence, one girl, Rae, becomes so engrossed in prayer that she fails to notice her veil catching fire. The narrator, who should have been praying, instead watches and quickly intervenes to save Rae from the flames. The ceremony continues despite the incident, and the girls later express their gratitude to the narrator.

Opinions

The author conveys a sense of tradition and solemnity associated with the religious ceremony, emphasizing the importance of the girls' roles and the reverence for Saint Michael.
There is a subtle critique of gender roles within the church, as indicated by the rule that no females are allowed at the altar, only the Sacristan.
The narrator's close observation and quick action to help Rae suggest a sense of responsibility and a break from the expected passive participation in the ceremony.
The incident with the veil catching fire adds a layer of tension and danger to the otherwise serene and controlled environment of the chapel, highlighting the unpredictability of life even within sacred spaces.
The gratitude expressed by the girls towards the narrator implies a sense of camaraderie and mutual support among the young participants of the procession.

The Feast of Saint Michael

a boarder’s tale!

Evening prayer.

The Feast of St. Michael.

And a cloak of darkness

falls in the chapel.

Half light,

three small girls

process

the central aisle.

By tradition

the littlest one,

the smallest girl,

my sister Susan

carried the golden painting.

An icon of the great man astride his horse;

armed and defensive.

Edged in gold,

and covered in glass.

heavy.

“rest it on your stomach

and you’ll make it

to the Communion rails”.

Not the altar.

no females allowed there

on hallowed ground.

only the Sacristan.

The candles flicker

on either side of St. Michael.

as the gentle glow

illuminates,

lights up their

reverent faces.

Their veils fall softly,

white frocks crisp,

demeanor serious.

Important.

Rae’s candle dips,

tips dangerously,

and she so concentrated,

prayerful,

misses seeing her

veil aflame.

I should have been praying,

but watching closely

from a nearby pew,

I saw her veil catch

…alight.

Scrambling out, over Holly

I raced towards the

lightly licking flames

to tear

away

the fiery veil

…from her face.

They processed on.

They thanked me later;

the little girls

from the junior school.

a.a.gallagher

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