Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Palm Sunday, the Church celebrates Christ's entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal Mystery. According to ancient custom, the commemoration of the Lord's entrance is celebrated with great solemnity. During the Mass, the Passion of the Lord is proclaimed with reverence, including participation by the congregation as the Crowd.

As you assemble inside the church this Palm Sunday, please take a palm branch with you to your place. When the bell rings for Mass, please direct your attention to the entrance of the church. The Priest will bless the palm branches and move about the church sprinkling the branches with holy water. Afterward, the Deacon or Priest will proclaim the account of the Lord's entrance from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

The Gospel Reading is the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke. The Passion will be read by the Deacon and lay readers, with the part of Christ reserved for the priest. Please participate as a speaker with the part of the Crowd by following along in the Heritage Missal. During the Passion, we will kneel for a short time to commemorate our Lord's death on the Cross.

Know of my prayers for a sanctifying Holy Week for our parish families.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Fields