About two dozen members of the Parents of Priests group in the Diocese of Cleveland gathered with other members of the faith community for the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Palm Sunday, April 14, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Bishop Nelson Perez was the celebrant and Father Don Oleksiak, vicar general and moderator of the curia, concelebrated.
He acknowledged the Parents of Priests, thanking them for the gift of their sons, who are serving the Church across the diocese.
The liturgy included blessing of the palms. The Gospel was a reading of the Passion of the Lord.
In his homily, Bishop Perez urged the congregation to share the end of the story, referring to Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. He also talked about Pope Francis’ recent apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive), which was addressed to both young people and the entire people of God. The document relies heavily on the reflections and conversations that occurred as part of last year’s Synod on Youth, which focused on the age group 16-29.
The bishop said as Jesus awaited his hour, he often noted it had not yet come. “But now the hour is here,” he said, as Holy Week approached. We all have our hours, Bishop Perez said, explaining that these challenges show what we’re really made of. It was the same with Jesus, he said, with his hour – his passion and death – revealing to the world what he was made of.
“God so loved the world that he sent his only son so that you and I will have life,” he said. “At the end of the world, we’ll be able to say, ‘now I understand.’”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, crowds cheered him but in the crowd, there were others who would turn on him just days later as well as non-believers. “But Jesus knew his hour was coming. He had resolve and so does the Church,” the bishop said.
He explained that we all are part of the Church, but there is a bigger Church that transcends time. The resolve shown by that Church persists and the Church has had hope all these years because Christ is alive, he added.
After Mass, the Parents of Priests group headed to the parlor in the cathedral rectory where they had a light brunch and were able to socialize with the bishop and Father Oleksiak. The bishop also posed for a photo with the group.
