This year, Palm Sunday (Olive Branches Sunday) could be celebrated on Sunday, April 10, for the first time after the earthquake in Izmir St. John’s Cathedral.
While the ceremony was led by the Archbishop of Izmir, Monsignor Martin Kmetec, the Rector of St. John’s Cathedral, Father Ugo De Rosa, the Chancellor and Chief of Staff of the Archdiocese of Izmir, Father Alessandro Amprino, the Priest of the Church of the Holy Name of Mary in Bornova, Father Pascal Robert, and Buca, Priests of the Church of St. John the Baptist, Father Ireneusz Bochinsky, also accompanied the Mass.
After Monsignor Martin gave the blessing of the branches at the entrance of the church, the ceremony began with Father Ugo reading the Words from the Gospel of Jesus Christ written by St. Luke. And then the holy march representing the entrance to Jerusalem took place around the church. The cross was held in the front, and the choir of the Cathedral under the direction of Ozan Karagöz, followed by the congregation and the Bishop and the clergy marched.
After reading the Words from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, “The Suffering and Death of Christ Jesus” written by St. Luke, was read together by Monsignor Martin, the employee of the Cathedral, Mr. Mesut and a participant from the congregation.
In the afternoon, like every year, during the fasting period before Easter, a Way of the Cross was held at the Virgin Mary’s House on Selçuk Bülbül Mountain, at Palm Sunday.
The first stop of the Way of the Cross began at the altar outside, and the Archbishop of Izmir held the cross first; During the next 13 stops different participants carried the cross and at the last stop the cross was held again by the Archbishop.
An icon representing one of the moments of Christ’s Suffering was also displayed at each stop, and when its name was announced, the attendees knelt briefly, chanting the chorus of supplication in Latin “Adoramus te” (We Worship You…).
At each stop, the texts of the Suffering of Christ, accompanied by Words from the four Gospels, were read in one of these languages: Turkish, English, Italian and French. And meditations related to each stop were read by the whole congregation.
Thus, proceeding through the open spaces of the House of Virgin Mary, wandering in front of the fountains and the House, the Way of the Cross ended with the hymn of Salve Regina and the last words of Monsignor Martin at the open-air altar. (SAT-7 TURK/İZMİR-Nathalie Ritzmann)
