The Durham monks’ St Mark’s Day procession

St Mark’s Day was once kept as a fast all over the country, with no meat eaten. At Durham the prior and monks went in procession on that day and on the first three days of Rogation week to one of the parish churches, where a sermon was preached at each. Hone explained that the St Mark’s Day litany was the greater litany, begun by Pope Gregory against a pestilence and called the black cross from the black clothes worn in penance.