North London churches begin Holy Week with ecumenical procession

There was warm sunshine as more than 200 members of five north London churches gathered for the eighth Ecumenical Palm Sunday procession- with a donkey and Blessing of Palms - at the Manor House gates of Finsbury Park.

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was re-enacted with loud hosannas by parishioners from St Thomas More's Catholic Church, St Olave's, Woodbury Down, and St John the Evangelist, Brownswood Park Anglican Churches, the United Reform Church and Finsbury Park Methodist Church.

Fr Clive Lee gave the welcome. Fr Tunde Roberts introduced the service with a reflection. Fr Clive led prayers and blessed the palms. Deacon Kassa Tsegaye proclaimed the Gospel and Fr Daniel Sandham gave the homily.

After the service, traffic came to a standstill as the crowd, shepherded by the local police officers, processed through the streets to each of their different churches, for their Palm Sunday celebrations. Children took turns to ride William, on their way back to St Thomas More's for Mass.

More photos of the day will be posted soon on the ICN Facebook page.

The churches around Finsbury Park have a long history of collaborating together. One of the next events will be their annual ecumenical pilgrimage. Destinations have included Canterbury, Norwich, Salisbury, Cambridge, Ely and Lincoln.