Kansas City Christians mark the start of Holy Week with Palm Sunday
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (KCTV) — People across the Kansas City metro gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, a significant day in the Christian faith marking Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem just one week before Easter.
Songs of praise and moments of prayer filled the sanctuary of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village on Sunday morning, creating an atmosphere of reflection and faith. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which Pastor Rodger Nishioka described as the most meaningful week of the Christian year.
“As followers of Jesus, we do our best to walk with him every single day and through the course of this week, we walk with him through his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and then through the trials that he encountered,” Nishioka said.
The days leading up to Easter represent Jesus’ final moments with his disciples, ending with his death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
“It’s a week of love — and what love looks like and how love can be sacrifice, and love ultimately is a gift for us all,” he said.
For many in the congregation, the message is deeply personal.
“It’s a wonderful week of ing the past… and looking toward the future,” said Laura Ann Bowen, who attended the Palm Sunday service with her family.
She added that the meaning of Holy Week is something she hopes to down.
“We work really hard to raise thoughtful, kind, caring humans — so they can go out and do good in the world,” Bowen said.
Palm branches, a symbol of Jesus’ welcome in Jerusalem, remain a powerful reminder of hope, sacrifice, and victory.
“Being here, practicing what we preach, coming together as a family — that’s what matters most,” Bowen said.
Lent continues through the week of Easter as a period of fasting and spiritual preparation. The congregation is encouraged to keep their palms throughout the year. By next year, those palms are dried and turned to ashes for Ash Wednesday services.
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