On Sunday, April 13, 2025, Palm Sunday, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the commemoration of the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, seated upon a donkey’s colt, when the children of the Hebrews welcomed Him with palm branches, crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
The commemoration of this event was celebrated as follows:
On the Eve
In the evening, on the eve of the feast, a Great Patriarchal Festal Vespers Parrhesia was held, according to the liturgical order and the Status Quo, in the Catholicon of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The service was presided over by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem with the participation in prayer of the Hierarchs of the Patriarchate at the Holy Altar, and concelebrating Hieromonks, led by the Elder Kamarasis, Archimandrite Nektarios, the Archdeacon Mark, and other deacons. The chanting was led by the chief cantor, Deacon Eustathios, with a devout congregation in attendance, composed of a considerable number of pilgrims from various Orthodox countries.
In the Morning
On the morning of Sunday, the Palm Sunday feast itself, the festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Catholicon of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Liturgy was presided over by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, and concelebrated by: Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias; the visiting Bishop Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod; Archbishop Theophanes of Gerash; Archbishop Dorotheos of Avila; Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantine; Archbishop Methodios of Tabor; Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia; Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda; and Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella.
Also concelebrating were the Holy Sepulchre Hieromonks of the Patriarchate, led by the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nektarios, priests visiting from various Orthodox countries, representatives of the Patriarchates of Moscow and Romania—Archimandrite Vassianos and Archimandrite Ioannis, respectively, Priests, Archdeacon Mark and other deacons. The chanting was led once again by the chief Byzantine cantor Deacon Eustathios, assisted by chanters from Greece and students of the Patriarchal School. In attendance were the Consul General of Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Angelosopoulos, the Consul Mr. Petros Anagnostaras, and a large, devout congregation of worshippers.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the procession of the palm branches took place three times around the Holy Edicule and at the various holy sites within the Church, maintaining our right as the second guardian of the Stone of the Angel.
This was followed by the reading of the Paschal Gospel narrative. Afterwards, the Patriarchal entourage returned to the Patriarchate, where His Beatitude addressed the pious pilgrims of Holy Week and Pascha, offering His wishes for a blessed Holy Week and a joyful Resurrection, with abundant spiritual blessings drawn from their experience of the holy pilgrimage.
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
