Though the Liturgical calendar has changed throughout the years, May 3rd was once the feast of the Finding of the True Cross. This feast has been combined with the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th on the modern liturgical calendar, but the blessing of Crosses to be placed in fields or vineyards on this day still remains, particularly for those who continue to follow the older calendar.

Prior to the changes in the General Roman Calendar, the Church celebrated the Finding of the True Cross on May 3rd. Discovered by St. Helena, a prolific archeologist and mother of Constantine, she is said to have found three crosses by the guidance of a man named Judas. The three crosses were under the site of a pagan temple or shrine to Venus, and eventually uncovered in the 4th century. To discover which, if any of the crosses were the True Cross, depending on the version of the story, a man who had died was brought to the crosses, and only revived after touching the True Cross, or a sick woman was brought to each cross, and was made well upon contact with the third cross. It is said that the location of the crosses was made known by the appearance of basil (a word meaning ‘king’), which is why on September 14th, the Exaltation of the Cross, crosses, crucifixes, or images of the cross are adorned with basil.

I first came across this tradition by mention from my priest, but he was unaware of when it was celebrated or whence it originated, so it took me a while to find more information on the subject. What he shared was that in parts of India, at least where he is from, families would place blessed crosses in the fields, asking for God’s protection over their crops from disease, pests, and animals like deer. I have frequently found in my research that just the right combination of words need to be searched in order to find specific customs, so without the proper wording or phrase, it has often taken a good deal of exploring (something to be mindful of if you are seeking more information on a tradition that somebody shares with you without knowing all the details). Once I struck the right phrase, however, I was able to find more information on the subject.

I have yet to be able to discover the exact time of origin of the tradition of blessing crosses for fields, but it seems to be a fairly old tradition. The tradition of the use of scarecrows appears to be quite ancient, and I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t some form of connection between the use of scarecrows and that of crosses to protect fields. Many scarecrows are, after all, built in a cruciform shape or are hung on crosses. Though as far as I can tell, the scarecrow doesn’t hold any pagan association, I would be curious if the use of crosses is a Christian adaptation of a common practice. Of course, the presence of people is often a deterrent for animals, God offers the ultimate protection.

From the information I gathered from our priest, it sounds as if the parishioners would bring crosses to church to be blessed by the priest. If you don’t feel comfortable hauling a cross to your parish, where this may not be a widely practiced custom, you can always invite your priest out to offer the blessing. Inviting your parish priest over to participate in these types of activities is a great way to build a relationship with him! As with most of these home traditions, this appears to be something that can be done at home by the family or owner of the land if it is not possible to have a priest (or deacon) perform the blessing. The prayer used is below, and you would want to have holy water on hand for the blessing, as with any other blessing. A separate, but related tradition that I have come across is the blessing of fields during the Rogation Days with a “Weather Blessing Cross,” which is a special crucifix and reliquary of the True Cross.

Blessing of Crosses to be Placed in Fields and Vineyards:

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.

“Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, Father of goodness and consolation, in virtue of the bitter suffering of thy Sole-Begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, endured for us sinners on the wood of the Cross, bless these crosses which thy faithful will erect in their vineyards, fields, and gardens. Protect the land where they are placed from hail, tornado, storm, and every assault of the enemy, so that their fruits ripened to the harvest may be gathered to thy honor by those who place their hope in the holy Cross of thy Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth with thee eternally. Amen.”

It appears that in some places, a simple cross made of wood is used, while in other places, weather-proof (they appear to mostly be metal) crucifixes are used instead. Some appear to be more permanent in nature, and others only temporary. While it may be typical for families to place crosses in fields, gardens, and vineyards, for those dreaming of life on the land, using whatever resources they have available, smaller blessed crosses could be placed in potted plants and container gardens as well!

I’d love to know if this is a tradition you’ve used before! If so, leave a note in the comments.

In Christ,
Danielle