GASTONIA — More than 400 cars drove through St. Michael Church’s "Parade-a-Palms" April 5, stretching all the way down to Jackson Street from the church parking lot.
Each car received blessed palms and a St. Joseph Prayer Book created by TAN Books for the Year of St. Joseph.
Father Lucas Rossi, pastor, encouraged the faithful to wear red and bring items to be donated to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers from the parish and the Knights of Columbus collected the items from the trunks of parishioners’ cars as they drove up.
As the cars departed the parade, Father Rossi blessed each one.
The parish collected an abundance of food donations for people in need during the unique and fun Palm Sunday event.
The Palm Sunday event was preceded by a special livestreamed Mass by Father Rossi. The parish has begin livestreaming its Masses thanks to an "Angel Cam" recently installed inside the church.
— Photos provided by Reine Smirz and Patrick Sery
CHARLOTTE — With a large crowd of 350 attendees, St. Ann Parish and the Charlotte Latin Mass Community celebrated the Feast of the Purification, traditionally known as Candlemas, with a special blessing of candles followed by a candlelight procession and Mass Feb. 2.
The ceremonies began with St. Ann’s pastor Father Timothy Reid performing the Latin blessing of candles for the many candles parishioners brought. Father Reid then led an outdoor candlelight procession symbolizing the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph bringing the Infant Jesus into the temple in Jerusalem to meet Holy Simeon and Anna the Prophetess.
After the procession, he offered a High Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
The feast day is often associated with candles as the Blessed Mother, while visiting the temple 40 days after Christmas for the purification law, presented the Infant Jesus, the Light of the World, to Holy Simeon. A tradition in the Church developed to bless candles on this special Marian feast day. In the Extraordinary Form, Candlemas also represents the end of the 40-day Christmas season. To mark the occasion, the Charlotte Latin Mass Community celebrated with a dessert potluck and the Cantate Domino Latin Choir performed its annual Wassailing Christmas carol to officially close the season.
— Mike FitzGerald and Markus Kuncoro, correspondents