With great fervor, believers of the Catholic religion gathered in the almost 300 parishes of the Archdiocese of New York to celebrate Palm Sunday.
Father José Cruz, Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church explains:
“For us as Catholics, Palm Sunday is very important because for us, Holy Week begins today, today begins the day on which we remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.”
At the masses at the Sacred Heart Church in the Bronx there was not an empty seat, especially during the Eucharist offered in Spanish where more than 500 parishioners, the majority of whom were Latinos, raised their blessed palms, many in the shape of a cross, as a sign of their faith.
“I make a little cross out of it and put it there behind the door. It is that God continues to be with us in our home and blesses us every day”, says parishioner Marcelo Palacios.
According to Catholic tradition and belief, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, people applauded him and clapped palms and olive branches, and for this reason thousands of years later, the palm remains an important symbol in this religion.
We spoke with some attendees and they told us why this day is so significant for them:
“For me it is an important day since every Sunday I come to mass, but especially, Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. The time to be in meditation, in joy, in peace with God”, indicates Yirandi De la Cruz.
“I carry this faith because it was instilled in me by my parents by my grandparents and I want to instill it in my children, my grandchildren,” adds Betzaida Hamburgo, a church volunteer.
“We are celebrating life and part of life is suffering, but also hope. Palm Sunday is a Sunday of hope”, says Father Cruz.
Holy Week runs through April 9 and there will be more activities and ceremonies throughout the city, such as at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
