After two long years, on Palm Sunday we saw something beautiful: a church packed with people.
It wasn’t the capacity crowds we’ve had in the past, when it would be SRO and families would be spilling into the narthex. But people came. Again and again. Every Mass at my parish in Queens seemed to grow fuller. Communion lines were long. The sense of enthusiasm and community were both palpable.
It was a joy to see so many people — and so many displays of faith and hope.
I hope this is a sign of things to come — and that we can have a large turnout for the Triduum and for the Easter liturgies. It’s been too long.
We’re missing a lot of our altar servers, too. An army that used to number close to 100 has dwindled to a dozen or so. Fewer parents are coming to church — and that means fewer children. We’re hoping and praying that will change. We need to remind people what they are missing — the Eucharist, communal worship, inspiration, transcendent beauty, a sense of the sacred. As Bridgeport Bishop Frank Caggiano put it last year: people need to come home.
Below, a video showing some of the entrance for the 11:15 a.m. Mass.
Have a blessed and fruitful Holy Week, one and all!
