Thousands of Catholics gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to observe Palm Sunday Mass and kick off the start of 2026 Holy Week, the first under Archbishop Ronald Hicks.
Inside the Midtown Manhattan cathedral, palms were used to symbolize Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where crowds welcomed him with palm branches.
For Hicks, who took over in February after Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s retirement, this first Palm Sunday on Fifth Avenue was a poignant reminder of the significant messages conveyed during Holy Week.
“We celebrated well today, with joy, with prayer, with a great sense of faith,” Hicks said.
Hicks emphasized that the lessons from Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem can offer guidance to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, especially in times of turmoil both domestically and internationally.
“Jesus, who stood for peace. Jesus, who showed the path to love. Jesus, who showed us how to love our brothers and sisters,” the archbishop expressed.
Parishioners resonated with the message of peace during these challenging times, finding solace and hope in their reflections. Ashley Pallathra from Philadelphia highlighted the current personal and political difficulties that made the message of peace much-needed.
Hicks expressed his hope that everyone would embrace and share the peace and hope of Holy Week with the world.
“My hope is that we take a little piece of Holy Week and bring it to our world because our world is hungry, is crying for that peace and hope that comes from God,” Hicks affirmed.
