North London churches gather for Palm Sunday procession

In spite of the unseasonal snow flurries and chilly winds, members of five north London churches gathered in force for the seventh Ecumenical Procession with a donkey and Blessing of Palms at the Manor House gates of Finsbury Park on Palm Sunday.

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was re-enacted by more than 100 parishioners from St Thomas More's Catholic Church, St Olave's, Woodbury Down, and St John the Evangelist, Brownswood Park Anglican Churches and the Methodist United Reform Church of Finsbury Park.

Finsbury Park Methodists led the opening hymn, Fr Clive Lee introduced the welcome; Rev Kassa Tsegaye led prayers and reflections; Rev Tunde Robert blessed the palms and proclaimed the Gospel. Fr Daniel Sandham gave the homily.

Because of the wintry weather, there were two donkeys this year instead of one - much to the delight of the children. The farmers that brought Gordon from Bury St Edmunds, also had to bring his companion donkey William because there was so much snow in Suffolk, they had been unable to get him to another booking.

After the service, traffic came to a standstill as the crowd, shepherded by the local police officers, processed through the streets to each of their different churches, for their Palm Sunday celebrations. Children took turns to ride William and Gordon, on their way back to St Thomas More's for Mass.

To read Fr Daniel's homily, see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=22227