One of the unique ecumenical features of our neighborhood in Halifax is the donkey parade on Palm Sunday. The donkey is an animal named Tabitha who comes from a farm near Enfield (our Fr. Paul Granville was pastor there for many years). She is used to this parade, but one must keep one’s distance, especially from her hind legs which can powerfully kick backward. There are other disadvantages as well. No one has been found ready to attempt sitting on her.

We gather together at 9.30 at the Round Church, practically across the street from St. Patrick’s, and as priest-in-charge (a good Anglican title given me by Archbishop Mancini) of St. Patrick’s I join with clergy from the local churches for the blessing and distribution of the palms to our joint congregation.

The Round Church is Anglo-Catholic and dedicated to St. George, and the blessing of the palms brings back memories of the 50's with deacon and sub-deacon decked out in full style with amices and maniples, standing behind the celebrant, together with a magnificent choir in the Anglican tradition. Often I will read the lesson from the King James version, or else bless the assembled animals who come along for the donkey walk.

We process with hymns and palms to other three local churches, where we get a welcome and a brief fervorino from the pastor. First we go to the neighbouring African Baptist congregation. Many of the persons of African origin – descendants mostly of US slaves who escaped to Canada – used to live in a neighbourhood called Africville, and they were all expropriated, with many coming to our own area.

Then we go to the local United Church. It has a small congregation but a remarkable outreach to the poor and homeless in this area. Finally we come to Saint Patrick’s. We always end our procession with “City of God”, a hymn chosen by George Leach when he was the sacramental priest of the parish, a tradition which we are very pleased to continue.

Like the other two churches, we are very present to the homeless and disadvantaged people in the area. They often note the Jesuit Centre of Spirituality sign and knock at our door for conversation and maybe a handout. The nearby cathedral has a much larger congregation, but our St. Vincent de Paul Society serves maybe ten times as many people.

After that we move into our own church and conduct our own blessing of the palms and celebration of the Eucharist in the simpler style to which we are accustomed after Vatican II