Ecumenical Palm Sunday procession in Finsbury Park

Prayers at St Thomas More's before the procession. Image: Corine Dhondee

Traffic came to a standstill in north London on Palm Sunday morning, as worshippers from several churches and their friends - waving palm and olive branches, gathered at the Manor House gates of Finsbury Park for Ecumenical prayers and Blessing of the Palms.

Fr Clive Lee with parishioners from St Thomas More's Catholic church processed with Joseph the donkey. They were accompanied by singer Patricia Hammond and Early Music specialist William Summers from Loki Music who played the Rauschspfeife a 16th century woodwind instrument. He also played a soprnanino recorder. At the park gates they joined a crowd from Finsbury Park Methodist Church and St Olaves Anglican Church, Woodberry Down.

After a rousing rendition of Give Me Joy in My Heart, accompanied by William Summers, Fr Clive Lee gave the opening address in which he welcomed everyone present - people of all faiths and none. He mentioned that this year's event was particularly poignant as the usual Palm Sunday procession and service in Jerusalem had been cancelled by the authorities.

We then prayed: "For five weeks of Lent were 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 through the world. Christ entered in triumph into his own city, to complete his work as our Messiah. To suffer, to died 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 we may share his resurrection and new life."

Fr Clive then blessed the olive branches and palms with holy water before Venerable Prebendary Tunde Roberts gave an inspiring homily in which he spoke of the courage of Jesus to walk towards his passion and death on the cross - the ultimate test of love. "If we ever wonder if we are really loved, we should look at the figure on the cross," he said. "We must not remember the death of Jesus as an heedless act of violence rather we must honour this death as a supreme act of love. The love of one who did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself for us… in spite of all our shortcomings. God loves us." Rev Tunde asked every

After the final blessing, Patricia Hammond and William Summers struck up the hymn 'Ride on Ride on', as the crowd, waving palm branches and crosses, processed from the park gates across Seven Sisters Road walking to each of our churches for Palm Sunday Services . As groups went into their church we waved

People of all ages took part - including several young families with children. Many passersby, including some Muslim families and a group of Coptic Christians, stopped to watch. Several drivers passing by waved.

Thiis special service has been a fixture in Finsbury Park since 2006 - with a two year break during the Covid years.

Places of worship around Finsbury Park, have a long history of collaborating together on various social projects. The churches have been on many ecumenical pilgrimage together to shrines around the country.

LINKS

See more more pictures and a video on our ICN Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10165071010743384&set=pcb.10165071016003384

St Thomas More's parish:
https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/manorhouse

Gate and West Donkeys, Lawshall, Suffolk:
www.facebook.com/DonkeyExperience20/