By Julie Ann Loong, for the North Star
Palm Sunday was the day in which our Lord Jesus Christ triumphantly entered into Jerusalem and was welcomed by a large crowd of people who were waving palm branches or throwing them on the ground in front of him. This signifies the beginning of Holy Week. In the essence of this most important week of our Christian Faith.
Palm Sunday is also the designated World Youth Day. Since 1986, Pope St. John Paul II, asked every bishop to schedule an annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday in their dioceses.
This year the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa is pleased to announce that there will be a Diocesan World Youth Day Celebration on Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019. It will be held at the Garapan Fishing Base across Kristo Rai Church beginning at 3:30PM where the gathering can witness a scenic sunset in the view of the ocean later in the evening.
There will be a Stations of the Cross led by the youths and the Holy Mass which will be presided by Bishop Ryan P. Jiminez and concelebrated by members of the clergy.
All the youth, are encouraged to attend the event. If you are interested or have any questions, please see your parish youth ministry representatives.
All evening Masses on Palm Sunday in all parishes in Saipan will be cancelled since all the clergy will be con-celebrating in the Mass at Fishing Base. All the faithful are also invited to participate in this event.
The event is celebrated annually all over the globe in places like Rome and the US, but this will be the first time that our diocese will host an event like this, so a beautiful and new experience awaits!