Palm Sunday mass

Local churches use alternative methods to celebrate Palm Sunday

It's palm sunday, the start of holy week.

A day normally where christians and catholics would be celebrating at churches.

However churches have been closed for several weeks now.

News channel 2's brent kearney shows us how one utica church is still celebrating.

"now normally grace church would be filled with paritioners celebrating palm sunday.but due to the states restrictions, masses will be held online."

Nats this is the new normal for most churches around the area.

Masses.

Grace church pastor christine williams says the service went well, but felt different.

.

None .

None "it allows us to focus on the scripture.

It allows us to understand god's presence in a different way.

So it was different but it felt good and i really think it felt like god was present."

Christine says even though the paritioners arent physically in front of her.

She still gets that sense of community.

"i think that even though we are apart, we are still the church.

The church isnt the building, the building is where we worship.

And then some people like to build holy places for god.

But we are the church the church is the people."

Christine says that even though these online worships are temporary, the church is looking into making this available for people that cant come to church in the future.

"this may be something we can carry forward to those that cant attend church.

Imagine someone suffering from some sort of ailiment that keeps them home, this way here they can still be apart of the service.

So its something i think in the long run we can benefit from.

But in the shortrun its not easy."

"what do you say to people out there on this palm sunday then?"

"we have so many luxuries of worshipping together, its on pause, and i think we have to look at the entire story and look at the jesus narrative and recognize that even though we are not together jesus is present.

I hope that as we move through easter it becomes less about the church and more about the way in which the church is being in the world."

Brent kearney news channel 2 > utica police are