This is another flash-back from my journals of 2006 - A beautiful day arrived with a clear sky that heralded a spectacular day for the Palm Sunday procession. I had arranged for the donkeys, owned by Gene Roark, to show up 9:15 AM. By 9 AM, most of the parishioners were gathering on the grassy field behind the Cathedral Church in Baker City, but by 9:14 AM, the donkeys were nowhere to be found, and I started to panic, knowing that this was my idea and a no-show would prove disastrous. But by 9:16 AM, Zack and Jenny arrived, led by Al and Danielle McCauley, who brought them over in their trailer, neatly brushed and in perfect photogenic condition. They were supposed to also bring their pony Tony along. However Tony the pony was not there, and since we did not have time for explanations, we started the ceremony of the blessing of palms. A huge crowd filled the field, and I wondered how these people would ever fit inside the Church. After the reading of the Gospel, the procession was led by the Cross and candles, followed by the two donkeys, then myself and the deacons and the rest of the people. It was a short procession around the block, but enough to give the impression that we were following Jesus, as we sang “Hosanna to our King.” Zack wanted to join in the singing, and at one moment he started braying loudly, which brought laughter from everyone, but they proceeded without any problem, ending in the middle of the road on 1st Street, leading everyone into the Cathedral. We waited by the new Church sign as the congregation packed themselves like sardines inside the Church, after which we went in, while Zack and Jenny went home.
The story that Al and Michelle McCauley told me afterwards was quite hilarious, but serious too. Apparently when they brought the donkeys into their corral on Saturday night, their pony Tony got a liking to Jenny, who has been Zack’s companion for years. So this morning, when they were rounding them up to put them into the trailer, Tony and Zack had a vicious jealously-enraged fight over the girl. They even had to call their neighbors to help them separate them, which was not an easy job for anyone, however experienced a rancher or farmer they could be. Tony the Pony must be terribly disappointed that his dreams were shattered by the disappearance of Jenny, and as his hormones were getting crazy, before you know it, she was gone forever. I’m sure they’ll have another re-union next year, but I doubt if they will let the donkeys again with Tony, the jealous heart-throb who almost stole Jenny away from Zack, but was left disappointed, disheartened, frustrated and utterly dejected. A nice spread in the front page of the Baker City Herald appeared the next day, displaying three pictures of the donkey procession we had on Palm Sunday. A nice article written by the ever-faithful Lisa Britton used much of the material I shared with her earlier in the day, and it was a perfect page for a Holy Week celebration. In a state that is 9% Catholic, it is very reassuring to see Catholic news displayed so prominently in our newspapers.
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