Bishop Zubik's Palm Sunday service promotes unity, hope to parishioners
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - April 2, 2023, is Palm Sunday, a day that starts the Holy Week for millions of Christians around the world.
In Pittsburgh, Bishop David Zubik celebrated mass at Saint Paul's Cathedral and gave a message of hope to his parishioners.
At 10 a.m., hundreds gathered at Saint Paul's Cathedral to celebrate faith, community, and the start of Holy Week.
In Bishop Zubik's homily this Palm Sunday, he spoke about the trying times in the world. From the war in Ukraine to the devastating storms that have been happing across the US, to the school shooting in Tennessee last Monday, and the hoax that residents in Pittsburgh witnessed on Wednesday.
Many students from nearby Oakland Catholic High School sought shelter at Saint Paul's when the active shooter call went out.
"They were under the impression that there was, in fact, a shooter. So many of them thought that this could be their last minutes on this earth. They came to the cathedral and felt the comfort of God's presence here," Bishop Zubik said.
Before the service this morning, KDKA spoke one-on-one with the bishop, and he said that despite all the trials and tribulations in the world recently, we as a people should have faith and that we are not alone.
"There's an awful lot in our culture today that invites us to do it alone. And that's never going to work. And not only do we need to get through life with the help of each other, but we also do need to get through life with the help of God."
Bishop Zubik also told us that he was pleased to see that Pope Francis, who had recently been hospitalized with severe bronchitis, was well enough to return to work at the Vatican. But he said that even in the hospital, the Pope continued to minister to those in need.
"Well, you see, everything about Pope Francis is serving people. Even when he was in the hospital, he baptized a baby, [and] went around visiting people who were in the hospital rooms," Bishop Zubik added. "His whole intent is not to focus attention on himself and maybe some of his struggles, but to really work through them and to be who he was called to be, which is to be the pastor of the church."
Holy Week will wrap up next Sunday, and Bishop Zubik is very hopeful that his message of hope will resonate with everyone, whether they be Christian or not.
