UPDATED April 14, 2025
When Allegra Mastrosimone walked energetically toward the doors of St. George Church in Titusville April13, a reporter asked how important it was for her to be at this Palm Sunday Mass.
PHOTO GALLERY: Palm Sunday Mass with Bishop in St. George Church, Titusville
“It’s very important,” she quickly responded. Allegra explained that her grandparents were older, and it was difficult for them to get to church, but she would be an altar server for this Mass and her grandparents would be there, bringing together three generations of her family.
As Allegra hurried into church to get ready, her mother, Gina Mastrosimone, explained that she herself grew up in this parish and her parents are longtime parishioners. She said it was so gratifying for three generations of her family to come together at St. George, and Palm Sunday Mass would set the tone for the family attending other services together during Holy Week.
Even more special for the Mastrosimone family and all in attendance was the opportunity to attend Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., assisted by Deacon Dick Currie. So began the most solemn week in the Church year.
After Bishop O’Connell blessed the palms, the entrance song, “All Glory, Laud and Honor,” echoed the cheers and hosannas of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Then the tone changed as the Passion was read.
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell described the week as a “week of crowds,” recounting the entrance into Jerusalem where “the crowds welcome Jesus with great enthusiasm.”
“By Holy Thursday, the town seems eerily quiet and the crowd diminishes to the 12 Apostles having their Passover supper with him as he washes feet, speaks of service and priesthood, and shares the gift of his Body and Blood,” the Bishop said. “The party moves to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the 12 minus 1 are confronted by a crowd of soldiers who arrest Jesus. Then the crowd becomes ugly on Good Friday. The apostles scatter as the crowds’ ‘hosannas’ are replaced by ‘crucify him.’ And, so, the crowd watches Jesus die, and the crowd is reduced to his Mother, his mother’s sister, Mary Magdalene and John the Apostle.”
The Bishop concluded: “I call Holy Week, the ‘week of crowds.’ It always moves me to ask myself, in what crowd would I find myself? How about you?”
In contrast to the entrance, all left in silence to begin this week of prayer, reflection, and self-scrutiny.
Bishop O’Connell greets three generations of the Mastrosimone family in attendance for Mass on Palm Sunday in St. George Church, Titusville. The family’s patriarch is Angelo Mastrosimone, far left, and matriarch, Consuelo, fifth from right. Their granddaughter, Allegra, second from left, was an altar server for the Mass. Mike Ehrmann photos