DIOCESAN NEWS
03/26/10
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Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday at convention center
       NATCHEZ — The normal place for Catholics to celebrate Mass especially on holy days is in their churches, according to Father David O’Connor, pastor of St. Mary and Assumption parishes.
       But, on Palm Sunday, March 28, the three Catholic parishes in Natchez will jointly celebrate Mass at the Natchez Convention Center at 10 a.m. This announcement was made by Father O’Connor and Father John O’Halloran, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Natchez, St. Ann Parish in Fayette and St. John the Baptist Mission in Cranfield.
       Father O’Connor said, “Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-11, Mk 11:1-11, Lk 19:28-44, Jn 12:12-19), and begins what is known as Holy Week. Holy Week recalls and liturgically re-enacts great events in the final week of Jesus’ life . . .”
       “Palm Sunday is a great feast day that draws our minds back to the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem,” Father O’Halloran, said. “My experience is even church members who are not regular weekend church-goers, find a special attraction to Palm Sunday, and actively participate in the procession with palm branches.
       “The palm branches are reminders of how Jesus was greeted on his arrival into Jerusalem,” he said. “The service is joyful as it recalls his arrival but it also focuses attention on the events that would happen later in the final week of Jesus’ life with the Gospel proclamation from Luke 22:14-23:56.”
       Pat Tumminello, chairperson of the liturgy commission at St. Mary said, “Palm Sunday serves as a beginning of Holy Week, the spiritually most important time of the year for Christians. The procession from the gazebo commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
       “This procession is both prayerful and celebratory and provides reflection time for the participants to remember the sacrifices Christ made for us,” she said. “Participants will hold palm branches and will be led in the procession by a cross bearer and an acolyte with incense. Banners will add to the pageantry.”
       “The Palm Sunday event is recognized by all Christian people, and because of this we extend an invitation to all interested people in the Miss-Lou area to join us for this service,” according to Father O’Connor. “We warmly welcome all those who have not been active in their churches in recent times, and we pray that this might be a new beginning for them.”
       “The order of this worship service” according to Ruth McWilliams, chairperson of the planning committee, “begins with a call to worship at the gazebo on Broadway Street on the Mississippi bluff, then a prayerful procession to the convention center, blessing and distribution of palms to all those present, the proclamation of the sacred Scriptures and the homily, the general intercessions.
       “This is followed by the offertory rite, the Eucharistic prayer recalling the words and actions of Jesus at the last supper, and the Communion rite. The final part, called the dismissal rite, is the sending forth of the congregation to live the central message of the celebration.”
       “The planning committee included members of Holy Family, St. Anne in Fayette, Assumption and St. Mary parishes,” according to Tumminello.
In case of rain, the procession will be transferred to the convention center.
       For further information, contact church offices: St. Mary 601-445-5616, Holy Family 601-445-5700, or Assumption Church, 601-442-7250.

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