We will end the recollection with the blessing of palms and a Mass at 12 noon.

Palm Sunday is marked with a simple procession to the city cathedral for the blessing of palms.

It precedes every other ceremony that may take place before the Mass, such as the blessing of palms or of candles.

After prayers and the blessing of palms, singing and dancing up the muddy track we entered the church for the Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist.

The blessing of palms (or pussywillow) takes place at Matins on Sunday morning, and everyone stands holding palms and lit candles during the important moments of the service.

Please note that the service next Sunday is a joint one for all three parishes and will begin by the Town Hall with the blessing of palms, after which we shall process to church.

The Missal, besides the blessing given at the end of Mass, contains only blessings associated with functions incidental to certain days of the year such as the blessing of palms and ashes.

As it stands in the liturgy, it may be compared with two other forms, the blessing of palms on Palm Sunday, and the blessing of the baptismal font at the Easter Vigil.

Where the 1962 Missal is used, the Asperges is done before the principal Mass on Sunday, except on Palm Sunday, when it is replaced with the blessing of palms followed by a procession.

They contain meditations for the presiding celebrant(s) during the liturgy, and other material such as the rite for the blessing of palms on Palm Sunday, propers for special feast days, and instructions for proper ceremonial order.

However, popular devotions such as the blessing of palms or the imposition of ashes were suppressed in most church orders, despite the fact that a number of them had retained Ash Wednesday as the start of Lent.

The Palm Sunday blessing of palms was freed from elements, such as the recitation of the Sanctus, that were relics of an earlier celebration of a separate Mass for the blessing, and the procession was simplified.