By Morgan Mizell

NATCHEZ —A blessing of the palms and a procession through Memorial Park will begin the Holy Week festivities at St. Mary Basilica Sunday.

“The events of this Sunday, Palm Sunday, will include a multi-parish Mass,” The Rev. David O’Connor said. “St. Mary will join with other congregations from Assumption and Holy Family from Natchez, as well as St. Anne in Fayette and St. John the Baptist in Cranfield.”

This particular Mass has been held for several years and is overseen by the multi-parish planning committee headed by Ruth McWilliams.

“It has always been a well-attended Mass, and we have held it in several locations throughout downtown,” McWilliams said. “We were at the City Auditorium, the Convention Center and within the last few years, we decided to bring it back to the church.”

Events will begin near the Family Life Center on Main Street at 9:40 a.m. Sunday morning with a call to worship and a blessing of the palms, followed by a procession through Memorial Park and Palm Sunday Mass at 10 a.m.

“We will have a vigil Mass Saturday evening at 5 p.m.,” McWilliams said. “The liturgical roles will be filled by members of our youth. They will also have a blessing of the palms and a procession through the park.”

The Sunday Mass usually attracts between 500 to 600 participants annually, and is a time of fellowship between parishes in the area.

“We will also have an event on Sunday evening,” O’Connor said. “We will have the living stations of the cross, where our youth will lead a group around town.”

The evening service will begin at 5 p.m. and take participants to different locations in town symbolically marking the journey of Jesus from his arrest to his death and burial in the tomb.

“It is an interesting way to take the last days of Jesus’ life on Earth and physically go from place to place and meditate and pray,” O’Connor said. “We leave St. Mary and go to Jefferson Street UMC, City Auditorium, the Gazebo, City Hall, Trinity Church, First Presbyterian Church, Armstrong Library, and Memorial Park.”

An invitation is extended to all in the Miss-Lou area.