Back in the late 1960s, local man Dominic Zagami began fashioning leaves from date palms into intricate woven creations to adorn St Brendan’s Catholic Church on Palm Sunday. He passed these skills onto his willing apprentice, Sam Berlingeri, and a tradition was born.

Today, more than 50 years later, the practice continues. Each year, in the week before Palm Sunday, a small number of palm leaves are collected. With Sam and his wife, Carmel as the stalwarts, an evolving group of helpers learn how to weave the leaves into shapes that represent loaves and fishes.

As well as this group, the senior students from St Brendan’s Primary School also contribute by weaving 200-300 small palm crosses. Again, this has been a part of the school’s pre-Easter preparations for many years. These crosses are blessed and given out at Palm Sunday Mass. Some are sent to St Joseph’s Swan Reach and some are shared with the Lakes Entrance Anglican church.

With more parishioners joining the team each year, we look forward to this special tradition continuing on for a long time to come.