ALTON - Palm Sunday is always a big day at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alton. This past weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Palm Sunday Mass had to be live-streamed and the palms were distributed in a drive-up fashion outside the church.
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Vehicles were positioned one by one to receive the palms package. The line was backed up to Alby from the church on Fourth Street in Alton as parishioners eagerly awaited their palms.
Father Jeremy Paul, OMV, said he was “blown away” at the response, but said, “We should have known we would get this type of response with the love and dedication of our parishioners.”
“During the first three and a half hours, we gave away palms and Easter candles to over 225 families,” he said.
Palm Sunday is a Christian feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Catholics distribute their palms blessed by the clergy so they can take them home.
“Here at St Mary's, as at many other houses of worship, pastors are eager to tend their flock and to keep them safe, doing all we can to help them to see God's presence, love, mercy, and peace in the midst of all we, and the entire world are going through in this unimaginable crisis,” Father Jeremy said. “We have been live streaming Mass and the Rosary as well as Stations of the Cross and other prayer services from our rectory and church via St Mary's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/stmarysalton.
“For Catholics our faith is sacramental and we rely on God's created things to lead us to Him, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. So, in a time when our people are separated from the central blessing of our worship which is the Holy Mass in our church, we are trying to take every opportunity to keep our people connected and united in faith in Christ. So this past weekend, we gave out Blessed Palms, Easter Paschal candle kits. Holy Water, Divine Mercy Images and cards and parish bulletins. All we can do to help people to enter into the saving mystery of Holy Week.”
Father Jeremy said it is just remarkable during the coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are turning to faith, are turning to God.
“There are few times in history when the entire world is focused on one thing. We are living in one of those times, and because in very real ways we realize our helplessness, there's nowhere else to turn,” Father Jeremy said. “Adam and Eve were the first - at that first moment in history the entire world was turned to God... but then they turned away from him, and we all have, at different times and in different ways…
“God is so merciful, always available to us, welcoming us prodigal children home, forgiving us… He's so merciful! So we turn to him in prayer to the only one who can help us - Him, the one we belong to! So, there's so much to be hopeful about, and that's why we were out there offering what we can, and why we're live streaming every day and praying constantly for our people and the whole world.
"God bless you and God bless us all!”
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