| Holy Week and Easter in Colombia |
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By Fr. Joseph Jablonski, MSC
The deep faith and enthusiasm of the Colombian people was deeply felt. This year the Colombian Episcopacy asked that the traditional palms not be used because that particular type of palm tree is becoming extinct due to the high demand from around the world. We might follow their example the next time we think about using the traditional in our liturgies here in the USA. Also, throughout Holy Week in Colombia, there were many signs of solidarity and prayer for the many people who are held in captivity by the FARC, a revolutionary group which operates in the jungle areas of the country. Although a few hostages were released during this holy time, there are still more than 400 people who are being held against their will.
Of course, such complicated at beautiful liturgies require the ministry of many people, and throughout the week I was impressed by the choirs, lectors, communion ministers, altar servers, and Scouts, not to mention the army of volunteers who decorated altars, organized processions and cleaned and recleaned the church. One of the characteristics of our MSC community is to empower the laity and that was certainly obvious during Holy Week in Bogotá.
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On my last visit to Colombia in December 2007, Fr. Germán Barona, MSC, the pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Bogotá, asked if I could come and help him and Fr. Hector Mejía, MSC during Holy Week. I arrived in Bogotá a few days before Palm Sunday and began helping with the confessions of the great multitude of people who seek the sacrament especially at this time of year. When Palm Sunday arrived, the new church building, which is almost four times larger than the original church and holds around a thousand people, was still too small!
The highlight of Holy Week of course is the great celebration of the Easter Vigil, the Resurrection of our Lord. People gathered a block away from the parish at the Easter fire and walked in a candlelight procession to the church with great joy in their hearts. The new church's baptistry allows baptism by immersion and several catechumens becamse members of the Church as they rose from the baptismal water. It was very impressive.