At St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church in Washington, sweeping arches rise overhead, drawing the eye toward the altar, where Cardinal Robert W. McElroy celebrated Palm Sunday Mass with the George Washington University Catholic Community.
The March 29 liturgy, marking the beginning of Holy Week, brought students, university leaders and parishioners together in prayer and song as the Passion of Christ was proclaimed.
The cardinal was the principal celebrant. Concelebrating the Mass was Father James Glasgow, chaplain of the Catholic Newman Center at George Washington University. Among those present were Dr. Ellen M. Granberg, the university’s president, and Colette Coleman, its vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
The church was filled to near capacity as Cardinal McElroy, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, stood in the narthex at the start of the liturgy, holding palm branches as he led the blessing commemorating Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
“Since the beginning of Lent until now, we have prepared our hearts by penance and charitable works,” the cardinal said during the blessing of palms. “Today we gather together to herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery.”
Inside the church, the congregation joined in song as the liturgy moved into the proclamation of the Passion. Students followed along in their missals, taking on speaking parts as the Gospel account of Christ’s suffering and death was read. Others folded palm branches into crosses as they listened.
During Communion, a student turned to a companion to confirm that crossing her arms over her chest signaled she would receive a blessing.
The George Washington University Catholic community is preparing to welcome 20 students into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
In his homily, Cardinal McElroy pointed to three gifts of the Cross that he said are especially important for young people.
“And for you, as university students, I believe there are three particular gifts that flow from the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ, gifts that are especially important in this time of your lives, a time filled with adventure, joys, hardships, struggles, and new realities and friendships,” he said.
The first, he said, is the certainty of God’s personal love.
“God’s love is not abstract,” he said. “It is personal. It is individual. It is tender and intimate… and it never wanes.”
He also emphasized that Christian humility means seeing oneself truthfully.
“Christian humility is seeing ourselves honestly and without pretense,” he said, adding that God’s mercy reveals both “the things that are broken, and the things that are lovable.”
Finally, he pointed to Christ’s suffering as a source of solidarity for believers.
“When we suffer in our own lives, we do not pray to a distant or abstract God,” he said. “We pray to a God who knows suffering.”
After the Mass, Cardinal McElroy joined students for fellowship, speaking with them and with members of the George Washington University administration.
“Palm Sunday is one of my favorite Masses of the year,” said Jorey Reyes, an international affairs major. “We take the palms home and place them above our doors, and it becomes a sign that we’re looking forward to Easter and the Resurrection.”
Veronica Kuzma, a neuroscience major, said the size of the gathering stood out.
“It was really emotional to see the whole community come together,” she said. “Not just students, but also the school administration celebrating the Mass together.”
Reyes and Kuzma, who met during their freshman year and are now roommates, said they attend Mass together when their schedules allow. They said coordinating schedules can be difficult, but liturgies like Palm Sunday offer an opportunity to worship together.
For Samuel Beltran, an international affairs and French major, the Newman Center has played a key role in deepening his faith life on campus.
“I did grow up Catholic, but the Newman Center has been really helpful in building a sense of community,” he said. “Instead of just going to Mass on Sundays, there are events throughout the week.”
Beltran pointed to weekly dinners and social events as opportunities to form friendships and remain connected.
“It’s not just about Mass. It’s about creating opportunities to spend time together, form relationships and build friendships,” he said. “You’re not just seeing people once a week. You’re actually living life alongside them.”
He said that sense of community was new for him in college.
“I didn’t go for the first couple of months,” he said. “But after some personal things, I ended up going, and ever since then, I’ve stayed connected.”
In his homily, the archbishop encouraged students to accept Christ’s invitation to draw closer to Him.
“This is a week in which Christ invites us to draw closer to Him in His Passion, death and Resurrection,” he said, describing it as a time “to understand more deeply the meaning of our lives here on this earth… and to remember where we are ultimately going: into the Kingdom of God.”
