Suggestions for Celebrating Palm Sunday from Home
One of the most distinctive elements of the Palm Sunday liturgy is the procession into the church with blessed palm branches at the beginning of Mass. Sadly, due to restrictions placed on public liturgies because of the coronavirus, we will be unable to have a Palm Sunday procession. But we want to encourage the faithful of St. Mary’s to celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion from home, using some of the resources provided below.
Live Stream Liturgy
We will be live streaming Palm Sunday Masses on our Facebook Page Saturday at 7:00 pm (Spanish) and Sunday at 11:30 am (English).
Blessed Palm Branches
We will have blessed palm fronds available for pick up at the parish from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm (or until all palms have been given out) on Sunday afternoon. Fr. Coleman will be giving out the branches himself, along with vials of holy water, to those who drive through the parking lot. Please remain in your vehicle and Father will come to you. Limit two fronds per person.
Home Liturgies
There are prayers and rituals you can celebrate from home to help you be united to the Church in prayer as we enter into Holy Week.
- Private Procession with Palms in the Home (adapted from the Roman Missal).
- Celebration of the Word for Palm Sunday (provided by Magnificat).
- Placing of Branches in the Home (from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers).
You can use one or more of these rituals in conjunction; for example, you can begin with a procession with branches around your home, celebrate a liturgy of the Word, and conclude with the prayers placing the branches in a suitable place in your home that can be a focal point of prayer during Holy Week.
If you are unable to come to the parish to collect blessed palm fronds, you may substitute fresh, green branches from local plants.
We hope these resources will help you to have a blessed Palm Sunday, and look forward to the day when we can once more celebrate our liturgies together as a community of faith.