Solemn Holy Week ceremonies begin today with the annual Palm Sunday blessing of palms and procession followed by Mass and the reading of the Passion. A fixture on today's Palm Sunday agenda is the Society of St Vincent de Paul Palm Sunday Walk.

The Walk begins at two points – Nazareth House, Duncan St , Port of Spain and the Cyril Ross Nursery, El Dorado Rd , Tunapuna – and ends at the Church of the Holy Family, Mount Lambert .

Archbishop Gilbert will preside at today's 9.30 a.m. Mass and procession at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Fernando . Tomorrow, April 10, he will be at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for the celebration of the annual Chrismal Mass. The Mass begins at 5.00 p.m.

Holy Week is the most sacred time of the Church's year, when Christians commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. In parishes in this archdiocese and all over the world, liturgical ministers, choirs and altar servers are busy rehearsing for the ceremonies, which are also the most elaborate of the year.

The liturgical rites have evolved over the centuries. Some of them are very ancient, going back to the earliest years of the Church; others were introduced in the course of history as adaptations to new circumstances and different cultures.

In his article on page one of our Holy Week pullout (paper edition), Msgr Michael de Verteuil, chairman of the Liturgical Commission, explains the Easter Triduum – from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday.