OFWs join pilgrims in Jerusalem in Palm Sunday procession

MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino workers in Jerusalem joined pilgrims in marking Palm Sunday with a procession there to trace the path taken by Jesus Christ when he triumphantly entered the Holy Land. Salesian priest Ric Fernando, chaplain of Good Shepherd Filipino Catholic Community in Jerusalem, said he was heartened over the enthusiasm showed by the Filipino workers and pilgrims. “It’s a real joyful and colorful procession with shouts of ‘Hosanna’ in many languages," he said in an article on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines website (www.cbcpnews.com). Fernando said he expects the local Filipino community members to flock tothe Church for the Holy Week liturgical celebration. Holy Week coincides with the “Pesach," a Jewish holiday beginning on the 14th of Nisan and continues traditionally for eight days, commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Catholic communities of OFWs in Jerusalem and Filipino pilgrims in Holy Land are celebrating the Holy Week with spiritual activities lined up for them by the Filipino Chaplaincy in Jerusalem. But Fernando said many OFWs will not be able to attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper because of their work. Still, those who can will join the GCFCC and San Lorenzo Community at the Holy Rosary Convent Church after they have all performed their duties in the Jewish households, “including putting their wards to bed and making sure they are sound asleep." The liturgical rites will include the “Washing of the Feet" and keeping of the Blessed Sacrament to the “Altar of Repose" after the Mass. “Those who can still afford to spend more time will proceed to St. Peter’s Gallicantu – to keep vigil at the place where Our Lord Jesus was kept for the night and where St Peter denied him three times," Fernando said. On Good Friday, OFWs will “journey" early morning with wooden crosses making the Via Crucis in the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to have been the original route taken by Christ. At noontime, both Filipino communities will listen to Salesian seminarians preach on the Siete Palabras in English at the Holy Rosary Church, followed by the celebration of the Passion, Adoration of the Cross and Communion. The Easter Vigil will be held at the same church at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Nearly 200 Filipinos attend the vigil. On Easter morning, a chaplaincy-wide pilgrimage to En Gedi will organized after the 8 a.m. Mass to be presided by Fr. Angelo Ison, OFM, chaplain to a group of Filipinos at the Mount of Beatitudes. Other celebrations have been prepared at YAFO, Tel Aviv under the OFMs and the Carmelite Parish at Haifa and at the Cave of Isaiah. In Nazareth, over 150 OFWs will attend the celebration at the Basilica of the Annunciation. The Filipino chaplaincy also reported that beginning mid-April this year, a chaplaincy office and chapel will be established in Tel Aviv. It is some five minutes away from the Central Bus Terminal where almost all of the 31,000 OFWs meet on weekends. Liturgical celebrations will soon be scheduled for the community. “Though it is difficult for the majority to attend the Holy Week services, OFWs at the Holy Land make all the efforts to attend at least some of the services," Fernando said. Meanwhile, in Cork, Ireland, Filipinos began their celebration of the Holy Week on Palm Sunday with the traditional blessing of palms and celebration of the Holy Eucharist and reading of the Lord’s Passion at 3 p.m. On April 12, Easter Sunday, the Eucharistic Celebration begins at 3 p.m., according to another report furnished by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Migrant and Itinerant People. In Vienna, expatriate Filipinos began their observance of the Holy Week with a recollection on the eve of Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday had the traditional blessing of palms and procession followed by the Mass. The usual spiritual activities for the Holy Week will climax with a series of solemn High Masses at Johann Kapistran Parish at 11 a.m., Kagranerplatz at 4:30 p.m. and Floridsdorf at 6:30 p.m. on Easter Sunday. - GMANews.TV