Palm Sunday every year commemorates the start of the Holy week in Lent and the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem , where large crowds went out to meet and greet Jesus with branches of date palm trees , shouting praises in his honour as ‘King of Israel’. In keeping with this tradition, palm (coconut tree) leaves are blessed on Palm Sunday and kept by the church for distribution to the faithful, who then enter the church in procession with palms in hand at the commencement of the parish mass. Surprisingly this year, this ceremony was found missing in some parishes in Goa , leaving parishioners disappointed and without palms. It is not known whether it was because of special Covid protocols observed in these churches or this practice is sought to be discontinued henceforth. Secondly, churches In Goa should make palms freely available to the faithful without asking them to come to church with their palms for blessing. This is the prevailing practice in most churches in Mumbai and parishes in others states.
