Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. This year, we will make a slight modification from how we have observed Palm Sunday in the past.  

The Roman Missal says the following about Palm Sunday:

On this day, the Church recalls the entrance of Christ the Lord into Jerusalem to accomplish his Paschal Mystery.  Accordingly, the memorial of this entrance of the Lord takes place at all Masses, by means of the Procession or the Solemn Entrance before the principal Mass… The Solemn Entrance, but not the Procession, may be repeated before other Masses that are usually celebrated with a large gathering of people.

The Procession on Palm Sunday is different from other Sundays because the Church envisions the faithful gathering at another suitable place to begin the Mass, then processing into the main church. This procession tradition reminds us of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The Gospels tell us that crowds welcomed him with palm branches and praise. Our procession is a way of walking with Jesus into the holy city. Starting in a smaller place shows the journey of the crowd that followed Jesus. Entering the main church stands for entering Jerusalem and the Temple. By walking, carrying palms, and singing together, we take part in the Gospel story, not just listen to it.

At the 10 AM and 2 PM Sunday Masses, we will gather in front of the Seton Center for the blessing of palms and the reading of the Gospel.  We will then walk together to the Sanctuary. For these two Masses, the procession is integral to the Mass. If you are not comfortable or able to join the procession from the Seton Center, we suggest attending any of the other Masses. 

At all other Masses on Palm Sunday, we will observe the Solemn Entrance. The Solemn Entrance instructs us to gather inside the church, just like a regular Sunday Mass.  From the Narthex, the priest will bless the palms, and the deacon will proclaim the Gospel before we continue Mass in the usual manner

We look forward to celebrating Palm Sunday with you!