Hoy in Parroquia San Cristóbal

It's Palm Sunday! We gathered outside for the Liturgy of the Palms and everyone joined in the procession, singing All Glory, Laud, and Honor as the rubrics dictate. And, just like in your church, we had a dramatic reading of the Passion from St. Matthew's Gospel. No sermon today because the Passion IS the sermon.

The Altar Guild held their annual Palm Sunday Bake Sale and the emapanadas de bacalao (codfish turnovers) sold out in no time, as did the Curry POWdah. The Lovely Mona provided Pumpkin Bread and it sold out quickly, too. Actually, EVERYTHING sold out in record time. There were all sorts of cakes and chicheme, a popular beverage made of milk and corn, flavored with cinnamon and other spices. It's the kinda stuff that one really likes if one grew up drinking it (as a person who grew up in Asia, just imagine the kinda stuff I like that you can't stand!). I declare the Bake Sale a success.

Then, at 10:30 am, we had our Spanish-language service. Back outside, but since our organist, Bernie Murray, had a gig in Chiriqui last night, I was the musician and Padre Cáceres handled all sacerdotal duties. We also had a dramatic reading of the Passion, but no bake sale the second time around; everything was gone! And the Sunday School gave the Lovely Mona a beautiful flower arrangement for her birthday.

Later, the Lovely Mona and I met our friends Egbert and Elizabeth Leigh for lunch at Taj Mahal. Our thirtieth wedding anniversary is on Tuesday, and Bert and Lizzie celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary on Friday, so we celebrated together.

All in all a very nice Domingo de los Ramos. Here are the photos:


Gathering outside for the Liturgy of the Palms


Those are some clean palms!

The Procession





The Passion of Christ According to St. Matthew

Herber Bynoe as Jesus


Carl Scotland as Pilate


John Josiah as the High Priest


Keith Green as Peter


Milford Peynado as Judas


Padre Mickey as the Narrator


The Choir


Headin' out the door

The Bake Sale



Mrs. Muriel Doyle at La Caja





Mr. Claudio Carter gives the Lovely Mona a wave

Liturgia de las Palmas






Santo, santo, santo es el Señor, Dios del universo. . .


The Flowers