Palm Sunday at St. Mary’s, Norwalk, CT

Palm Sunday 2018 at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk CT. Fr. Donald Kloster, celebrant.

The beginning of the Mass of the Palms.

The blessing of the palms.

Distribution of the Palms.

(Above and below) David Hughes, music director of St Mary’s, led the assembled musical forces of the parish:the schola cantorum, combined student scholae, the men’s chant choir and the parish adult choir. It is a most challenging day of the year in terms of musical complexity!

The procession through the streets of Norwalk on a chill early spring day.

The procession reaches the door of the church.

 

The cantors inside the church sing: Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe Redemptor...

 

After the final repetition of the refrain,  the subdeacon bangs three times on the doors with the foot of the cross. The door is then flung open.

The Mass of the Passion.

The Passion according to St. Matthew. The Passion is sung by three cantors; the choir provides the polyphonic responses of the crowd.

After the cantors of the Passion leave, the conclusion of the Passion is  proclaimed by the deacon.

We end on a meditative note. The palm crosses from the day’s ceremonies left at the tomb of Fr. Ignacio Barreiro, curate of the parish, who died almost a year ago on Holy Thursday, April 13, 2017.