The Palm Sunday is celebrated in different provinces of Turkey on March 25, Sunday, also in the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Istanbul.
The celebration took place in English and led by the Apostolic Nuncio in Turkey, Monsignor Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, accompanied by Salesian father Don Andres Calleja Ruiz.
When the English service was over, another mass in French was celebrated under the leading of Monsignor Ruben Tierrablanca Gonzalez, the Apostolic Vicar in Istanbul, accompanied by Don Nicola Masedu and Father Michel Derache from the Kadikoy Assomptionist Church.
The ceremony began with the blessing of the olive branches in the cathedral’s courtyard. Mgr. Tierrablanca blessed all the branches under the falling rain while reminding the meaning of the day.
Father Nicola Masedu read from the Gospel of Matthew and the congregation entered the Cathedral. After reading the book of Isaiah and the words of St. Paul, Mgr. Tierrablanca read the Gospel on the sufferings and death of Christ Jesus, written by St. Mark.
Father Nicola reminded the schedule of the Holy Week after bishop’s short sermon. The congregation that came to the courtyard after the mass congratulated each other had plenty of photographs.
