The celebration of Holy Week in RI

March 28, 2021/RINewsToday

“Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence celebrates the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday, March 28 with Bishop Thomas J. Tobin presiding at the 10:00 am Mass in the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul in Providence.

Palms will be blessed and distributed to the faithful in attendance.

The annual Chrism Mass will be held on Monday, March 29 at 5 p.m., with Bishop Tobin joined by priests of the Diocese – a celebration that includes the renewing of priestly promises and the blessing of oils. The blessed oils are used in Sacramental Rites – oil of catechumens to baptize both adults and infants; oil of the sick is used to anoint those who are ill and in need of God’s healing, and the sacred oil of chrism is used for baptism, confirmation, ordination of priests, and dedication of a new church or altar. The Holy Oils will be used at parishes throughout the year.

Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans will preside at the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m., and on Easter Sunday, April 4, Bishop Tobin will preside at the 10 a.m. Mass.

For a full Holy Week schedule, please visit: www.dioceseofprovidence.org and click on the Holy Week & Easter button.

Of note: Both the 10 a.m. Palm Sunday Mass and the 10 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass in the Cathedral will be live streamed on the diocesan YouTube channel. Visit YouTube.com and search “Diocese of Providence”.

Palm Sunday – Palms, olive branches and other fronds

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, or “Passion Sunday”, which unites the royal splendour of Christ with the proclamation of his Passion”.

The procession, commemorating Christ’s messianic entry into Jerusalem, is joyous and popular in character. The faithful usually keep palm or olive branches, or other greenery which have been blessed on Palm Sunday in their homes or in their work places.

The faithful, however, should be instructed as to the meaning of this celebration so that they might grasp its significance. They should be opportunely reminded that the important thing is participation at the procession and not only the obtaining of palm or olive branches. Palms or olive branches should not be kept as amulets, or for therapeutic or magical reasons to dispel evil spirits or to prevent the damage these cause in the fields or in the homes, all of which can assume a certain superstitious guise.

Palms and olive branches are kept in the home as a witness to faith in Jesus Christ, the messianic king, and in his Paschal Victory.