Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week

 

Lent: March 29th

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

From the Gospel at the Procession with the Palms, Year A: The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matt 21:7-11)

Today is Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion during which we commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery.

The Palm Sunday procession is formed of Christians who, in the "fullness of faith," make their own the gesture of the Jews and endow it with its full significance. Following the Jews' example we proclaim Christ as a Victor... Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. But by our faith we know, as they did not, all that His triumph stands for. He is the Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God. He is the sign of contradiction, acclaimed by some and reviled by others. Sent into this world to wrest us from sin and the power of Satan, He underwent His Passion, the punishment for our sins, but issues forth triumphant from the tomb, the victor over death, making our peace with God and taking us with Him into the kingdom of His Father in heaven.

Liturgy for Palm Sunday

The priests and deacons wear red vestments for Mass. There is a special entrance at the beginning of each Mass, either simple or solemn. This includes a blessing of the palms and the gospel reading of the entrance into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-16; Luke 19:28-40). The introduction by the priest explains the solemnity of Holy Week, and invites the faithful to take full part in the celebration:

Dear friends in Christ, for five weeks of Lent we have been preparing, by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of our Lord's paschal mystery. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the whole Church throughout the world. Christ entered in triumph into his own city, to complete his work as our Messiah: to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us remember with devotion this entry which began his saving work and follow him with a lively faith. United with him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life.

The palms are blessed with the following prayer:

Almighty God, we pray you bless these branches and make them holy. Today we joyfully acclaim Jesus our Messiah and King. May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem by faithfully following him who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

As the faithful, we remember and dramatize Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. In Jesus' time, a huge crowd assembled, put their cloaks or branches on the ground, and waved palm branches, acclaiming Christ as the King of Israel, the Son of David. We now wave our palm branches and sing as the priest enters the church:

Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

These words of praise are echoed every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Sanctus (Holy, Holy).

Our joy is quickly subdued. We are jolted to reality and see the purpose of Christ coming to Jerusalem by the reading of the Passion at the Gospel. (Written by Jennifer Gregory Miller)

Symbolism of the Palm Sunday Service
In the actions and object proper to today's liturgy the Church displays a rich symbolism, one deserving our special attention. The procession, for instance, is more than a mere memory; for in it we are actually accompanying Christ here and now. How is that true? Because Christ is present in three ways; firstly, in mere symbol, on the Cross which heads the procession; secondly, in His representative the priest; thirdly, in all of us as a community gathered together in His name. We are the Church of this place; and Christ, according to His promise, is in the midst of us.

But also this procession looks to the future. Christ, in His redemptive work, passed from this world into heaven, which is called the New Jerusalem. If our church stands for the earthly Jerusalem of old, it stands also for the New Jerusalem of heaven. When Christ comes again at the end of the world, He will lead our risen bodies, now joined to their souls, into heaven. And so, as we enter now with Christ's representative, the priest, we should think of the day when we hope to enter heaven itself with Christ our King. Our procession is a kind of rehearsal, in a symbolic way, of our final passover on the Last Day.

Now let us turn our minds from the future to the past. Christ and His followers entered Jerusalem, just as we now enter this church. But why did He go to Jerusalem? Was it to be crowned there as King? Not at all. He went there to suffer and die for our sakes, and to win through all His terrible passion and death to His resurrection. Our salvation depends on following Him; we must die with Him if ever we are to rise with Him. And therefore, in the official prayer of the Mass, which the priest lays before God as our spokesman, we ask that "with the lesson of His endurance before us, we may be found worthy to have fellowship in His resurrection." How earnestly we should add our Amen to that prayer.

Pope Leo XIV offers Mass in Monaco; be a witness to living in peace

 

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Pope at Mass in Monaco: 'You are called to bear witness to living in peace'

During Mass in the Principality of Monaco, Pope Leo XIV urges everyone not to grow "accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war," and insists that the Church in Monaco is called to bear witness to living in peace.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Let us not grow accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war!" 

Pope Leo XIV made this powerful reminder to the faithful of Monaco during the Mass he celebrated at Louis II Stadium during his one-day Apostolic Journey to the Principality.

READ POPE LEO'S FULL HOMILY HERE

In his homily, the Pope stressed, "Every life cut short wounds the body of Christ," and reminded that, "Peace is not merely a balance of power; it is the work of purified hearts, of those who see others as brothers and sisters to be protected, not enemies to be defeated."

The Holy Father began his homily recalling that today's Gospel reading, according to St. John, recounts the cruel sentence issued against Jesus, telling of the day when the members of the Sanhedrin planned to put him to death. The Pope reasoned that the decision was largely a political calculation rooted in fear. "If Jesus continued to inspire hope and turn the people’s sorrow into joy, the Romans would come and devastate the nation."

Pope Leo, therefore, explained that rather than recognize Jesus as the Messiah, as the long-awaited Christ, the religious leaders saw Him as a threat.

The Pope observed that we witness two opposing forces, "on the one hand, the revelation of God, who presents himself as the almighty Lord and Savior; and on the other, the hidden schemes of powerful authorities who are eager to kill without scruples." The Pope suggested that not much has changed when we look at our world today.

How many plots devised to kill the innocent!

"Even today, how many plots are devised around the world to kill the innocent!" Pope Leo condemned, observing, "How many excuses are made to justify their elimination!"

Yet, despite the persistence of evil, Pope Leo reassured, "God’s eternal justice always rescues us from our graves, as it did with Lazarus, and gives us new life."  

He recalled that the Lord frees us from pain by instilling hope and converts our hardened hearts. His mercy, Pope Leo said, saves the world and nurtures every human life in all its frailty, from the moment it grows in the womb until it withers away.

The Pope recalled how the Prophet Ezekiel, in the First Reading, testifies to how God carries out His plan of salvation, beginning with liberation and realized through the sanctification of the people, who embark upon a journey of conversion, much like our own Lenten journey.  

Likewise, we are invited, the Pope suggested, to become involved, "rather than remaining at a private or individual level, so that our relationships with God and with our neighbors can be transformed."

The Pope recalled that liberation takes the form of a purification from the “idols” that defiled the people, all those things that enslave our hearts, deceiving and corrupting them, and stressing, "The Lord changed the course of history by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life."

Faced with many injustices and wars

The Pope thus continued, noting that in the face of the many injustices that afflict peoples and the wars that tear nations apart, the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will gladden them, I will comfort them after their sorrow," resound with strength.   

Idolatry, the Pope noted, makes people slaves of each other, but purification from idolatry sanctifies them. "It is a gift of grace that makes people children of God, and brothers and sisters to one another.   "This gift," he pointed out, "sheds light on our present, for the wars that stain it with blood are the fruit of the idolatry of power and money." 

"Every life cut short wounds the body of Christ," Pope Leo decried, appealing, "Let us not grow accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war!  

Thus, the Pope emphasized that peace does not consist simply of a balance of power, but is the work of purified hearts, "of those who see others as brothers and sisters to be protected, not enemies to be defeated."

Bring happiness to others through your faith

Thus, the Pope reminded those before him that the Church in Monaco is called to bear witness to living in peace and with God’s blessing.  "Therefore, dear friends, bring happiness to others through your faith, by manifesting authentic joy, which is not won through a wager, but shared through charity." 

God’s love, the Pope said, is the "source of this joy: love for new and vulnerable life, which should always be welcomed and cared for; love for the young and the elderly, who should receive encouragement through life’s challenges; love for the healthy and the sick, who are sometimes alone, and are always in need of attentive accompaniment."  

Amid evil raging in world, the Lord sustains us and the Church

He prayed the Virgin Mary help them to provide a welcoming and dignified space for the little ones and the poor, and to promote integral and inclusive development.

"In the world’s prolonged Lent, when evil rages and idolatry makes hearts indifferent, the Lord prepares His Easter," Pope Leo said, reassuring the Lord sustains our pilgrimage and the Church’s mission in the world.

Pope Leo XIV holds midday prayer with the Catholic community of Monaco

 

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Pope Leo in Monaco: Christ calls the Church to communion

Pope Leo XIV invites the Catholic community of Monaco to renew a faith capable of addressing secularism, promoting dignity, and proclaiming the Gospel with creativity and conviction.

By Linda Bordoni

In the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at the heart of the Principality, Pope Leo XIV gathered with the Catholic community of Monaco on Saturday morning for the celebration of Midday Prayer, and offered a reflection centred on Christ as “our advocate before the Father.”

Addressing the faithful, the Pope began with the words of the Apostle John: “We have an advocate before God: Jesus Christ, the righteous one,” and he invited all present to contemplate the mystery of salvation as God’s initiative of mercy toward a humanity marked by weakness and sin.

Christ, he said, “took upon himself the evil found in humanity and in the world (…)  and has overcome this evil, transforming it and freeing us forever.”

Greeting Prince Albert II of Monaco, Archbishop Dominique-Marie David, and the clergy and faithful, the Pope expressed his joy at sharing in the life of a local Church distinguished by its diversity and openness.

The gift of communion

Reflecting on Jesus as our advocate, Pope Leo XIV first highlighted the gift of communion. Christ, he said, “reconciles us with the Father and with one another,” not through condemnation, but through mercy that “purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the one family of God.”

This communion, he noted, is also social in its implications. Jesus’ mission restores not only spiritual well-being but also human dignity, reintegrating individuals into the community. In this light, the Church is called to be “a reflection in this world of the love of God which shows no favouritism.”

Turning to the local context, the Pope observed that Monaco’s social and cultural diversity is a richness, not a division. “In the Church,” he said, “such variety should never become the occasion of division into social classes,” but rather a sign that all are welcomed as “persons and children of God.”

A Church that defends the human person

The Pope then highlighted a second dimension of Christ’s advocacy: the proclamation of the Gospel in defense of every human being. Jesus, he said, gives voice to those “forgotten and marginalized,” revealing a merciful God who “works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.”

In this perspective, the Church herself is called to be an “advocate,” committed to the integral development of the human person. The Gospel, he explained, must illuminate human identity, relationships, and the ultimate meaning of life.

Encouraging renewed missionary zeal, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “proclaim the Gospel of life, hope and love,” defending human dignity “from conception until natural death.” He also warned against the pressures of secularism, which risk reducing human life to individualism and economic productivity.

A living and prophetic faith

The Pope cautioned against allowing faith to become routine. “A living faith is always prophetic,” he said, capable of raising questions about justice, solidarity, and the ethical foundations of society.

Questioning whether the current economic and social models truly promote the dignity of all, or whether they remain confined to “the logic of profit as an end in itself,” the Pope concluded, inviting the faithful to fix their gaze on Christ, which he said, leads to a faith that transforms both personal life and society.

Such faith, he exhorted, must be communicated “through a fresh language and by new tools, including those that are digital,” with particular attention to those rediscovering their faith.

Pope Leo XIV makes 1st stop in Monaco

 

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Pope Leo XIV: Monaco bears vocation to foster social friendship

Pope Leo XIV greets residents of the Principality of Monaco as he begins his Apostolic Journey and encourages the small European nation to place its material prosperity at the service of humanity, law, and justice.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV arrived by helicopter at the heliport of the Principality of Monaco on Saturday morning at the start of his one-day Apostolic Journey.

Prince Albert II of Monaco greeted the Holy Father before offering him an official welcome at the Prince’s Palace, where the two men held talks and then greeted the thousands of people gathered in the square in front of the Palace.

In his address, Pope Leo recalled that he is the first Pope of the modern era to visit Monaco, which is one of the few European nations to have the Catholic faith as its State religion, though freedom of worship is guaranteed.

Given this deep bond between the Church of Rome and Monaco, the Pope said he entrusts the Principality with deepening its commitment to the Social Doctrine of the Church and carrying it out at the international level.

“Even in cultures that are not very religious and are highly secularized,” he said, “the approach to problems characteristic of this Social Doctrine can reveal the great light that the Gospel brings to our time—a time in which many find it difficult to hope.”

Pope Leo recalled that Monaco overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, and he encouraged the small nation to embrace its “vocation to promote encounter and to foster social friendship.”

“The gift of smallness and a living spiritual heritage,” he said, “invite you to put your prosperity at the service of law and justice, especially at a historical moment when the display of power and the logic of oppression are harming the world and jeopardizing peace.”

The Pope invited residents of Monaco to never give in to a sense of powerlessness but rather to embrace their faith amid historic challenges and responsibilities.

Monaco’s pluralistic makeup, he said, makes it a microcosm, where a vibrant minority of local people and a majority of foreign citizens contribute to the Principality's well-being.

“Within your community, many people hold positions of considerable influence in the economic and financial spheres,” he said. “Many are engaged in various kinds of service, and there are numerous visitors and tourists.”

Pope Leo noted that the Kingdom of God shakes up the “unjust configurations of power and structures of sin that create chasms between the poor and the rich, between the privileged and the discarded, between friends and enemies.”

Recalling Monaco’s Catholic heritage, he said Jesus’ sovereignty raises up all people and connects us, so that everyone is called to protect every human life with love and none are excluded.

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Monaco to show the world the depth of Catholic Social Teaching, in order to promote social progress and guide the life of humanity.

Pope Leo XIV on his way to visit Monaco

 

Pope Leo XIV aboard the helicopter taking him to Monaco  (@Vatican Media)

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Pope Leo XIV begins his visit to Principality of Monaco

The Pope is travelling by helicopter to the small city-state, the destination of his second Apostolic Journey. In a telegram to the President of Italy during the flight, he expresses his desire to encourage “the witness of Christian faith” and “the building of the common good.”

Vatican News 

Read also

09/03/2026

Pope Leo's itinerary published for visit to Principality of Monaco

Just after 7.20 am Rome time on Saturday morning, 28 March, the helicopter carrying Pope Leo XIV lifted off from the Vatican heliport, marking the start of his Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco.

This visit is the Pope’s second international Apostolic Journey and the first ever undertaken by a Pope to the small city-state in modern times. His arrival in the country where Catholicism is the state religion is scheduled for 9 am.

As he departed Italian territory, the Holy Father sent the customary telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. In his message, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to travel to Monaco “to encourage the witness of Christian faith and the building of the common good,” while extending cordial greetings and prayerful good wishes for the spiritual, civil and social progress of the Italian nation.

Pope Leo's visit to Monaco is scheduled to last just under nine hours, with four main events marking the programme: a courtesy visit to Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace; an encounter with the Catholic community at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception; a meeting with young people and catechumens in the square in front of Saint Devota Church; and the celebration of Holy Mass at the Louis II Stadium, preceded by a brief tour among the faithful.

At approximately 5.45 pm, he will depart by helicopter for his return to the Vatican.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed hope that the journey would “give renewed impetus to the mission of the local Church,” strengthening shared commitment to urgent priorities such as care for creation, the defence of human life, and the promotion of international solidarity, with particular attention to the most vulnerable.

Small Catholic Chapel in rural Louisiana intentionally vandalized, set on fire

 

St. John Chapel in Columbia Damaged by Fire and Vandalism

The Diocese of Alexandria is sad to report that St. John Chapel in Columbia, Louisiana, was burglarized, vandalized and intentionally set on fire during either the late evening hours of Thursday, March 26, or the early morning of Friday, March 27.

The Diocese of Alexandria is sad to report that St. John Chapel in Columbia, Louisiana, was burglarized, vandalized and intentionally set on fire during either the late evening hours of Thursday, March 26, or the early morning of Friday, March 27.

At the time of the incident, no parishioners were present in the church, and no injuries have been reported.

Initial assessments indicate that portions of the church were desecrated in the incident. Local authorities have confirmed that suspects have been identified and arrested in connection with the crime.

Alexandria Bishop Robert Marshall, Father Robert Johnson, pastoral administrator, and concerned parishioners were onsite this morning cooperating with civil authorities to assess the extent of the damage.

Until further notice, Masses will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Winters Clinic, 421 Main Street, Columbia, LA, until further notice. We are grateful that a weekly Mass will continue to be celebrated without interruption as St. John Chapel is the only Catholic church within Caldwell Parish.

“It is deeply unfortunate that this has occurred at any time,” said Bishop Robert Marshall, “but especially as we prepare to enter the most sacred season of Holy Week and Easter.”

The Diocese of Alexandria expresses its sincere gratitude to the first responders for their swift and professional efforts in addressing the fire and securing the site.

A special fund, “Restoration- St. John Chapel, Columbia” has been established to assist with repair and recovery efforts and is available through the Diocese of Alexandria website (https://freedonationkiosk.com:9011/doa/donation/new).

The original St. John Chapel was built in 1954 in downtown Columbia. It burned down on Christmas Eve in 1988. St. John’s was then relocated to 7900 Hwy. 165 in Columbia and was dedicated on June 17, 1990.

The faithful are asked to keep the St. John Chapel community in their prayers during this difficult time. For continued updates and information, please visit the Diocese of Alexandria website.

For further inquiries, please contact the Diocese of Alexandria Public Relations Officer, Deacon Richard Mitchell, at: dcnrmitchell@diocesealex.org.

Saint of the Day for Saturday

 

St. Venturino of Bergamo

Dominican preacher and missionary crusader. A native of Bergamo, Italy, he joined the Dominicans in 1319 and soon distinguished himself as a brilliant preacher, attracting huge crowds throughout northern Italy. Pleased with his ability to reach large numbers of believers, he announced in 1335 his intention to go on a pilgrimage to Rome. When Pope Benedict XII (r. 1334-1342) learned of the pilgrimage, he feared Venturino might be planning to crown himself pope, and so forbade the friar to proceed. This decree was joined by one issued by the Dominicans themselves at the Chapter in London (1335). Ignorant of these bans, Venturino proceeded to Rome and then to Avignon where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343. He is also known for helping to organize a crusade, at the behest of Pope Clement VI (r. 1342-1352), against the Turks who were then menacing Europe.

Pope Leo XIV meets with U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious

 

Pope Leo XIV with the Presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious ( LCWR )

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U.S. Sisters: Pope shares our concern for plight of immigrants

After meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the Presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious speaks to Vatican News about the situation of immigrants in the United States, synodality, and the involvement of women in the Church.

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

As the United States has been affected by polarization and tension regarding social and political issues, the Church in the country has tried to be a voice of peace and harmony.

An association that seeks to read and respond to the signs of the times is the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).

Numbering approximately 30,000 members, it brings together leaders of Catholic women religious congregations and focuses on assisting them in carrying out their roles in the service of the Gospel and helping the Church respond to the changes affecting society.

On Thursday, March 26, Pope Leo XIV met with the presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) during their annual trip to Rome and the Vatican. Among the topics discussed was the situation that his home country is going through at the moment.

When the Pope “listened to our story of the heart, about how painful it is right now in the United States in regards to the treatment of human beings, not even US citizens, just human beings themselves, I could see the pain on his face,” Sr. Carol Zinn, of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Executive Director of LWCR, told Vatican News.

The meeting with the Pope also included the three sisters that make up LCWR’s Presidency: the President, Sister Vicky Larson of the Presentation Sisters, the President-elect, Sister Debra Sciano of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the former President, Sister Kathy Brazda of the Sisters of St. Joseph

The Gospel calls to welcome the stranger

Tensions have run high in the United States in the last year over the crackdown on immigration under the current government administration, with the situation reaching a boiling point in January 2026 after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens.

In November 2025, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasized its concern over the treatment of immigrants in the country. That same month, Pope Leo expressed his support for their statement and called for migrants to be treated with human dignity and respect.

 

The LWCR and the Pope definitely have a “shared concern for the plight of the immigrant and the Gospel call to welcome the stranger,” Sr. Vicky Larson told Vatican News.

Sr. Zinn explained that the religious members of LCWR are “doing everything that they can to help at the grassroots level,” providing people with basic necessities such as baby food or shoes or accompanying them to court.

“We also work at the advocacy level of the federal government, so we have a foot in both worlds,” she continued, highlighting how the Pope thanked them for their work.

Promoting listening and relationships to contrast polarization

Sr. Zinn underlined that the LCWR’s work is focusing at the moment on the “transformation of consciousness,” asking “how do we transform the way we think about one another and then the words that we use when we speak to each other?”

“The issue of polarization is alive and well, not only in the United States, but it's pretty raw in the United States,” she continued. “There's a tendency to exclude the other, just about everybody, and to set up camps.”

Therefore, much of the organization’s work recently has focused on building relationships to counter polarization at the human level. “We're trying to learn the skills ourselves and then invite others—our partners in ministry, the boards of our sponsored ministries that are all lay people—into this kind of learning process also,” Sr. Zinn explained.

“One of the things that we need to do to work for justice is to work on relationships and build bridges across divides so that people understand one another and can work together,” added Sr. Larson.

Their endeavor is nourished by the fact that they are religious, as “consecrated life is really built around that concept of discernment and listening together,” Sr. Larson said.

The efforts to help people understand one another also build “on what Pope Francis called all of us to in calling the Synod on Synodality,” she noted. “I think he really gifted us with a call to look at the way that we are Church together, and that we communicate and share wisdom.”

Women and leadership in the Church: a cultural issue

The two LCWR leaders highlighted that synodality is entrenched in many of their organizational structures, saying the sisters come together to discern how to respond to the needs of the times.

They also emphasized that they “engaged in the synod process 1,000%” by sending feedback that contributed to the two sessions of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in October 2023 and 2024.

Additionally, the two religious sisters explained they were very pleased to read paragraph 60 of the Final Document of the Synod, which insisted on women’s participation in the Church, highlighting that there should be no reason why women should not carry out leadership roles.

They also expressed their appreciation for the final report of one of the Synod’s Study Groups, which focused on women’s participation and leadership within the Church

“I’m pleased that the topic is being put on the table so that it can’t go away,” said Sr. Zinn. “I’m also pleased that there seems to be some understanding that's coming forth that this whole issue of the role of women in leadership in the Church is not theological, it's not ecclesial, it’s not historical, it’s not even canonical: It's cultural.”

“The conversations around the world, and certainly the United States, really need to begin at the cultural level,” she said.

Lastly, Sr. Zinn underlined the fact that both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have appointed women to leadership roles in the Church, saying it shows their commitment to changing this culture regarding the role of women.