Palm Sunday Observed with Devotion in St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle

By Dr. Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’Belle, 10 Apr 2022: The Palm Sunday liturgy was observed with great devotion in St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle on Sunday, 10 April 2022 with procession to the Cross Hill at 8 am followed by prayer service and blessing of palms led by Fr. George D’Souza, Parish Priest of St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle accompanied by Fr. Sunil Kumar D’Souza who was the chief celebrant of the Palm Sunday Liturgy, Fr. Anil Cornelio, Rector of Udupi Diocesan Vocational Centre and Fr. Cyril Lobo, Assistant Parish Priest.

 

Following the blessing of the palms on the Cross Hill, people retuned to the church through the main entrance as the choir sang the hymn commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

 

The Solemn Mass of the Palm Sunday was concelebrated by Fr. Sunil Kumar D’Souza as the chief celebrant.

 

The Passion Gospel was read by Fr. Anil Cornelio, Fr. Sunil Kumar D’Souza and Fr. George D’Souza. Fr. Anil Cornelio read the narration, Fr. Sunil Kumar D’Souza read the passages uttered by Jesus and Fr. George D’Souza read the passages uttered by other characters in the Holy Gospel.

 

 

The homily of Palm Sunday was delivered by Fr. Cyril Lobo. In his brief and powerful homily, Fr. Cyril Lobo compared the significance of the Palm Sunday and the Good Friday. He juxtaposed the events of Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Fr. Cyril Lobo said that on Palm Sunday Jesus was taken in jubilant procession to Jerusalem, but on Good Friday he was taken  away from Jerusalem in humiliation. On Palm Sunday, Jesus was carried by a donkey, but on Good Friday Jesus carried a wooden Cross on his back. On Palm Sunday, the people hailed Jesus with the slogan of ‘Hosanna’, but on Good Friday the same people raised the cry of ‘Crucify Him’. Fr. Cyril Lobo also interspersed his homily with few stanzas of hymns in Kannada to drive the significance of his homily.

 

At the end of the mass. Fr. George D’Souza announced the schedule of the service during the Holy Week. The Maundy  Thursday, 14 April and Good Friday, 15 April, services will commence at 4.30 pm. There will be Way of the Cross on Friday at 10 am. The Easter Vigil Service will start at 7 pm on Saturday, 16 April followed by solemn Easter Festive Mass. On Easter Sunday, 17 April there will be mass at 8am.