Order Soon to Add Justice and Joy to Palm Sunday

Like many kids, I knew Easter was coming when Palm Sunday rolled around. It wasn’t just the desire for a basket full of bunnies and fluorescent colored chicks that built the anticipation. The story of Jesus entering Jerusalem in all his glory, with the crowds waving palm branches and shouting greetings, filled me with a mixture of wonder and apprehension. I knew that soon after this public welcome Jesus would be betrayed and, perhaps because my young mind couldn’t project through to the Resurrection, I found the Palm Sunday story a bit sad knowing what awaited Jesus on Good Friday. Maybe this is part of the reason that as an adult I am excited about working to make Palm Sunday full of more hope than dread.

By using “Eco-palms” as part of a congregation’s start to Holy Week, parishes can make Palm Sunday a day of celebrating economic justice for farmers and stewardship of God’s creation in Guatemala and Mexico. Eco-palms are harvested in a way that rewards workers for the quality of the palms they harvest rather than the quantity, which helps to limit the amount of palms taken from a forest. Eco-palm communities have taken upon themselves to learn about harvesting practices that minimize impact on the natural forest where the palm grows, and ways to protect this wild species of palm, thus the term “eco.”

And, rather than sending the harvested palms off to a distant warehouse for sorting and packaging, the community members complete those tasks themselves and sell their palms directly rather than relying on middlemen—ensuring that more of the money paid for the palms actually goes to those who worked the hardest to provide them. Also, a 5¢ social premium is added to the cost of each palm—money that returns to the harvesting communities. In this way, Eco-palms protect the unique and important biodiversity of the region and improve the local communities’ standard of living.

To have your Eco-palms fill the sanctuary with justice this Palm Sunday, you need to order by FEBRUARY 20, 2008. Click on this order form link to print out a copy of and follow the ordering directions carefully.

Eco order PDF

If you have questions about the Eco-palms, their prices, delivery dates, etc. call the distributors directly at 612-624-7418. If you’d like to learn more about how Eco-palms relate to Catholic Social Teaching, call me at 410.951.7508. Ordering Eco-palms doesn’t have to be a once-a-year event, more than 300 million palm fronds are harvested each year for U.S. consumption alone, including for floral displays at church-related events. Your parish’s commitment to purchase Eco-palms plays an important role in protecting forests, local jobs, and sustainable livelihoods in the harvesting communities.

Palm Sunday promotion of Eco-palms is a project led by Lutheran World Relief and the Chamaedorea Palm Certification Project of the University of Minnesota. I appreciate the welcome our friends at LWR have given to including Catholic parishes and organizations in this effort. Ecumenical embrace of Eco-palms transforms this day from one of worry to wonder at the good work possible through responsible consumption!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 and is filed under Beyond Fair Trade, Sustainability . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Order Soon to Add Justice and Joy to Palm Sunday”

1. Andrew Casad Says:
   January 23rd, 2008 at 6:33 pm

   This is a great service. Our large parish enjoyed being able to use such beautiful palms and the reminder of justice lasts throughout the year with folks taking the palms home to adorn their homes. We printed a beautiful flier (in English and Spanish) for our community which all are welcome to adapt: http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/325/ecopalms.pdf

2. Patty Sper Says:
   January 26th, 2008 at 5:59 pm

   I forwarded this email to my parish and to our Diocesan Purchasing office in the diocese of Buffalo. Hopefully our Palm Sunday this year we will be more in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the world!

3. Kathleen McNerney Says:
   March 31st, 2008 at 12:28 pm

   This Easter Sunday, I walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in El Paso, TX just before Mass began. Looking for palms, I was thrilled to see a table piled with leafy greens sitting in the back of church. Without thinking I said, “Eco-palms!” The bishop turned and looked at me; my face turned just as red as his robes as I shuffled over to collect one of the palms. For months I had been faxing and phoning parishes in El Paso to pitch Eco-Palms with little luck, and was both thrilled and surprised to see the palms at the cathedral. El Paso’s Diocese is very involved with Fair Trade, serving Fair Trade coffee at diocesan events and in parish and diocesan offices. Several parishes sell the Fair Trade coffee and tea, and the bishop has pledged support of Fair Trade. For me, the Eco-Palms were just one more step in the right direction for the diocese. To celebrate with Eco-Palms as a start of our Holy Week was also a renewal of our commitment and responsibility to practice good stewardship to all of God’s creation. Thank you!

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