Every year, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral marks the start of holy week on Palm Sunday with a procession of palms. The procession typically walks the streets of Bankers Hill starting from Sixth Avenue. This year's celebration, however, was different because of the unpredictable weather.
Dozens of people attended the celebration, which began outdoors with the Super Sonic Samba Players. Drums and instruments rang out through the church's courtyard, accompanied with dancing and prayer. Despite the unpredictable weather, the celebrations continued inside.
As the Reverend Canon Richard Hogue explains, Palm Sunday is a time to reflect.
"A remembrance of Jesus' last week of life as we know it in the gospels," said Rev. Canon Hogue.
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So, why palms? In the Bible, palm trees often symbolized victory and triumph.
"The palm fronds would have been a symbol of we're welcoming, we're greening the place up, we want this person who's important who's entering our city to feel lavished," said Rev. Canon Hogue.
"It's our way of welcoming Christ into our lives and to the world, and knowing as he knew what was to come, but we didn't," said Patricia Kreder, a churchgoer.
