By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
There was a sense of excitement and a sense of joy on Palm Sunday at Holy Rosary Church in Galveston. The congregants at Holy Rosary were in a celebratory mood just as the people of Jerusalem had been centuries ago when they heralded Christ’s presence in the city by cheering and waving palm fronds.
Gathering under the sun as it was about halfway through the Eastern sky, worshippers listened and watched as the Rev. Stephen Payne and Deacon Doug Mathews led them in the traditional blessing of the palms.
Next was the procession of the people into the church. Each person held a palm frond, and there was a sense of familiarity among the people. Some quietly said “hello” to others, and some shook a fellow worshipper’s hand.
Inside the church, the air of happiness and celebration continued. An upbeat gospel piece composed and led by John Cooks inspired the congregants to enjoy of celebration through music as the priest, deacon, acolyte and crucifix made their way from the back of the church to the altar.
Then the Mass took a turn toward the more somber portion of the Palm Sunday liturgy as the gathered followers of Christ began to meditate on the Scripture passages for the day, which included the portion of the Gospel of Luke that describes Christ’s suffering and death.
As is tradition in a Catholic Mass on Palm Sunday, this Gospel reading was lengthy and invited all present to read lines. These lines brought to life the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate. The congregants read silently while a narrator read aloud, and when the book said to do so, congregants read the voices of the crowd gathered for Christ’s trial.
Father Steve gave the homily after the reading and brought back the lighter spirit with his opening thoughts/question?
“Are there any questions?” he asked, and the church filled with chuckles.
His message went on to emphasize the great sacrifice God had made in becoming man which led to his sacrificing his human life in an agonizing way for the salvation of humankind.
“We see in this the victory,” Father Steve said. ” Jesus rose from the dead.”
He added, “That’s next week,” and again, the church filled with chuckles.
His homily ended with an inspiring reminder that we can live life as children of God and that our souls are expanded by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As is another tradition in Catholic Mass, members of the congregation were invited to offer one another a sign of peace. At Holy Rosary this Sunday, as in many other churches, this was a happy time. It offered the feeling of family and friends sharing with each other as they shook hands or nodded to each other.
Shortly after the congregants had filed out of the church, the more senior members of the congregation began removing the symbols of the Lenten season and preparing the sanctuary for the upcoming Easter Mass.
Under the leadership of the Bishop of Galveston, the Most Rev. Nicholas A. Gallagher, Holy Rosary was opened in 1888 to serve as a Catholic parish for Black people. That was back in the time of segregation in our nation.
For most of the church’s existence, long after segregation laws had been struck down, most parishioners were Black. However, one lifelong parishioner reported that there were a few families who attended who were not Black.
Then came Hurricane Ike and the consolidation of all of Galveston’s Roman Catholic parishes into one parish. This led to Holy Rosary Church being discovered by many other Catholic believers who have chosen to worship at Holy Rosary.
Many of the parishioners who were raised at Holy Rosary have moved off Galveston Island and onto the mainland and have found other churches to attend. This was reported by one of the lifelong parishioners.
Some of those raised in Holy Rosary continue to come from the mainland and participate in activities at the church and within the parish.
Though the racial makeup of the congregation has changed, the vibrancy and sense of oneness and community that is characteristic of how people describe Holy Rosary remains constant.
This story is the second installment in a three-part series featuring Galveston’s Holy Rosary Church.
