Holy Week: Hundreds Gather as Bishop Deeley Celebrates Palm Sunday Mass

PORTLAND---Asking God “to sanctify these branches,” Bishop Robert Deeley officially began Holy Week by blessing palms at the start of the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass of the Passion of the Lord at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on April 2 (12 pictures below).

Each pew of the Cathedral was filled as the Mass opened in the rear narthex of the church where, after the bishop blessed the palms, Fr. Seamus Griesbach, rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, shared St. Matthew’s account of Christ’s triumphant journey to the Mount of Olives.

The palms then were carried in procession up the central aisle of the Cathedral to the sanctuary. The start of Mass on Palm Sunday begins in joy as it recalls Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem when palm branches were waved and cloaks were placed at his feet.

Ultimately, the liturgy turned the attention of the faithful to what has been the focus of the reflection and penance of Lent, the telling of the depth of Jesus’ love for each of us.

“We remember those events which are at the heart of our Christian faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus,” Bishop Deeley told the large assembly after the proclamation of the Passion of the Lord, which recalls Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary. “On this Sunday, we reflect in the Gospel on the Passion and death of the Lord. Next Sunday, when we meet again, we will be at the tomb of Jesus, which we, with Mary Magdalene and the apostles, will find empty. That beautiful morning of Easter, we will remind ourselves again that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead.”

Bishop Deeley said that between the two Sundays, all are invited to reflect on the greatness of God’s love for each of us as we accompany Jesus on his way to Calvary.

“First stopping on Holy Thursday at the room where he will gather his disciples and celebrate with them the Last Supper, the moment in which he gives them the Eucharist, his own Body and Blood as a permanent reminder of his presence with them, then and now. On Good Friday, we reflect on the supreme gift of love, Jesus, Son of God, dies on the cross to save us from our sins. It is, indeed, a Holy Week.”

The cathedral was adorned with palm fronds for the celebration of the Mass on Sunday, including some placed at the foot of the Lenten cross. Some parishioners braided or weaved their palms, a longtime tradition, which they will keep in their homes until the approach of the next Lenten season, when they will be burned to create the ashes used on Ash Wednesday.

The vestments worn on Palm Sunday are red, the symbol of martyrdom and blood.

“The Gospel this morning recounts the way in which Jesus gave himself away for us, he died for us, for the salvation of our souls, and for the forgiveness of our sins. He gave himself totally on the cross,” said Bishop Deeley.

The bishop said that Jesus calls each of us to see the cross as a way to change the world.

“He calls us to live as he lived,” said Bishop Deeley. “He asks us to serve each other, to live for each other, to give ourselves away for each other, to sacrifice for each other. The cross becomes our sign of hope. It shows us what love can do. Reflect on that for a moment. And join us, as you can, for the events of this Holy Week.”

Bishop Deeley will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral. At the Chrism Mass, Bishop Deeley will bless the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens, and he will consecrate the sacred Chrism, all of which will be used across Maine parishes during the next year. On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., the bishop will celebrate the Mass of the Holy Oils in Houlton for parishes in northern and eastern Maine. The bishop will return to the Cathedral for the Holy Thursday Celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (7 p.m.), the Celebration of Our Lord’s Passion on Good Friday (7 p.m.), the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday (8 p.m.), and the celebration of the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday (10 a.m.). All of the Masses and services at the Cathedral will also be livestreamed at www.portlandcatholic.org/livestreamed-liturgies.

A special Holy Week section includes Mass times and locations at all Maine parishes, listings of parish events, daily prayers and reflections, and many other resources. In addition, stories from many Masses and services and special messages throughout Holy Week will be posted on the diocesan website, the diocesan Facebook page, the diocesan Twitter page, the diocesan Instagram page, and on Bishop Deeley’s personal social media pages on Twitter and Instagram.