Palm Cleaning and Decorating the Church

Yesterday, we (the staff of Padre Mickey's Dance Party), showed you how we (members of Parroquia San Cristóbal and Iglesia San Juan), hunt the wily and elusive Palm Sunday palm frond. But hunting, capturing, killing chopping and then dragging from the forest is simply the beginning of the process. Today we will show you how the Faithful Members of the Altar Guild and their friends clean and separate the palms, making them presentable for our Corporate Worship at the Liturgy of the Palms, which will take place tomorrow morning at 7:30 am in English and 10:30 am en español.

First, the closed palm frond is opened and the palms separated. The separated palms are placed in buckets of water, to keep them fresh and pliable.




It is important that Young People such as Hillary and Alexis are there to help by fetching things and filling buckets, etc.



Next, each individual palm must be taken and wiped clean. They have collected much dirt living in the tropical forest, which, quite honestly, is a MESS! Dirt, dust, and insects are all over the place in the jungle, and you most certainly do not want that kind of filth in your church!





Also, the ends must be cut.


Here are the clean palms which will be blessed and distributed to the congregation




It is also important that some palms and palm fronds be separated and used for decoration. We (the Altar Guild of Parroquia San Cristóbal) find it worthwhile to use the Senior Warden to fasten palms to pews.





So now you know the proper method for cleaning palms and decorating the church for Palm Sunday. Tomorrow: photos of our Palm Sunday celebration and the Altar Guild Bake Sale, same palm time, same palm channel, (or thereabouts).