palm sunday

St Joseph's Church (founded by the Portuguese Mission in 1825)

It so happens I'm beginning this blog with Palm Sunday. For those who don't know what this is, it marks the beginning of Holy Week where the Catholic Church commemorates the last week of Jesus' life. The week for Jesus started with his entrance into Jerusalem where the people welcomed him by waving palms because the palm leaf is a symbol of triumph in Jewish tradition. The Jews were expecting a messiah, their king. Apparently, the sight of Jesus arriving on a donkey upset their expectations and started a chain of betrayals that led the Jerusalem mob to crucify Jesus on Good Friday. Catholics observe Good Friday with fasting and abstinence. St Joseph's Church in Victoria Street, the oldest Catholic Church in Singapore, will hold a procession on its grounds reenacting Jesus' crucifixation. Jesus' body lies in the tomb on Holy Saturday, the last day of Holy Week. Holy Saturday ends at dusk, after which Easter Vigil commences. On Easter Sunday, Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Easter is the first day of the new liturgical calendar.

Saint Joseph's Church has beautifully stained glass windows. Its architecture is structured in the form of a Latin cross and feature a central octagonal tower capped by a dome flanked by two smaller towers.