Our Lady of Lebanon Harris Park Maronites ready to observe Easter Holy Week

The week leading up to Easter is evident in a western Sydney suburb where thousands of worshippers spill on the streets to demonstrate their faith.

Palm Sunday signals the beginning of Holy Week for Christians, including at Our Lady of Maronite Co-Cathedral at Harris Park.

Seven thousand worshippers are expected to descend on the streets of Harris Park over the next several days to observe the most significant week in the Christian calendar, from ‘joyful’ Palm Sunday to sombre Good Friday processions.

Maronite Catholics from Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral begin Holy Week with mass on Palm Sunday, followed by the Holy Thursday washing of the feet and with a Stations of the Cross procession and Masses for Good Friday.

Harris Park has become synonymous with huge throngs of churchgoers packing its streets during Easter.

“Palm Sunday is extremely joyful. It’s a great day for families,’’ OLOL priest Father Charbel Dib said.

“They walk in the procession after masses, they have their candles and their palm branches, but it’s a really joyful celebration.’’

Palm Sunday celebrations at Our Lady Of Lebanon Maronite Co-Cathedral at Harris Park.

The sombre Good Friday procession begins with worshippers gathering at Experiment Farm Cottage before threading their way to Gregory Place and Alfred and Alice streets, before returning to the church.

The elderly, children, men and women are given the opportunity to carry the cross in a re-enactment of Jesus’ last moments before his crucifixion.

“Easter in our community takes on that extra special significance because the resurrection of Jesus is something that is at the heart of everything we believe – the Lord’s victory over death,’’ Fr Dib said.

“That entire theme trickles on throughout the entire year, every Sunday. We celebrate that good moment – when the Lord has risen.’’

Fr Dib, 37, is a lifelong parishioner at Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral.

Now his four children, aged seven weeks to 10 years old, uphold the same traditions among Maronites.

Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday are more solemn days on the Christian calendar.

“The Maronite Catholics are a significant number, and our celebrations are very unique. They’re very beautiful,’’ he said.

“We do have a large presence among the Catholic Church in Australia.

“Our numbers at Our Lady of Lebanon are for the most part above the national average of church attendance in Australia.

Maronite worshippers gather outside beyond the OLOL cathedral to begin Good Friday last year. Picture: Facebook

“There’s always more that we can do. We would love to see the 7000 people that come on Palm Sunday and Good Friday be there every Sunday, but that’s one of the big messages we’ll reiterate – we’re not just called to be Christians on Christmas and Easter, on the big feast days.’’

The number of churchgoers to pack the pews and the streets of Harris Park to observe Easter is expected to reflect last year’s congregation, which returned to pre-pandemic numbers.

“We thought last year might have been that Covid hangover where people stayed away, but last year was crazy,’’ Fr Dib said.

“It was like back with a vengeance with the amount of people that came through, so we’re expecting that to be the same again.

“We’re in a world that’s in desperate need of love, and there’s no greater witness of love than that of Jesus, so that’s what we celebrate at Easter.’’

Originally published as Our Lady of Lebanon Harris Park Maronites ready to observe Easter Holy Week