Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, has always been an important date on the Liturgical calendar. The number of people who attended this year was impressive. Numbers were up throughout the Eparchy.
Most Christian churches distribute palms and olive branches as they were used with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. However the Ukrainian tradition is to use pussy willows, the white flowers of the springtime Willow bush. It is hard to get them in Australia but Ukrainians here cut them down in July or August when they are in bloom and then dry them and keep them for distribution on Palm Sunday. This is what happens in Melbourne.
Besides the regular Palm Sunday service, the parish also welcomed its new administrator Fr. Andriy Mykytyuk. The Sunday kitchen reported its busiest day ever. The parish bazaar had brisk sales of paskas, Easter eggs, and of course, everything you need for the Easter basket.
The Melbourne newspaper, the Herald-Sun, came to the Cathedral celebration and reported the event in the paper.
It was “a wonderful day” said Eugene Hawryszko, the Vice President of the Parish Council.
