Enter into Holy Week on Palm Sunday

"The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding (Jesus) and those following kept crying out and saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.'" (Matthew 21:1-11) This Scripture describes Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, an event we reenact on Palm Sunday, which is celebrated the Sunday before Easter marking the beginning of Holy Week. The Catholic Church remembers this event during More

Know rights: Immigration staff advises

Jennifer Verkamp-Ruthven, director of Catholic Immigration Services for the Diocese of Little Rock, sent the following letter, April 8, 2025, to pastors and parish staff members to assist them in serving the needs of their immigrant parishioners in Catholic parishes in Arkansas. "Dear pastors and parish staff, since the new administration took office in January, a flurry of executive orders has changed or attempted to change federal immigration policies, and this has caused a high level of fear and anxiety among our immigrant brothers and sisters in our diocese. More

Palm branch symbolizes martyrdom

Palm Sunday is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week. The procession for this Mass reenacts Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In doing so we wave newly blessed palm branches and sing or cry out in some variation of "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (See Luke 19: 28-40 and Mark 11:1-10.) Some may wonder, why palms? In Jewish tradition, palms were to celebrate triumph or victory. For Christians, the palm branch became a symbol of martyrdom. Even the words More