Q: For the Mass on Palm Sunday, I’m aware that there are three different ways that the Mass can begin (i.e., Procession, Solemn Entrance, and Simple Entrance), and that with the Simple Entrance, the Mass would begin in the usual way, but exactly what is the difference between the Procession and the Solemn Entrance? Is it just that the Procession begins outside of the church building, with everyone processing inside after the Gospel (about Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem) is proclaimed, whereas the Solemn Entrance begins inside of the church building (Typically, in the back of the sanctuary or in the vestibule), and then only the ministers process in (while the congregation is already in their places, at the pews)? Am I understanding this correctly, or is there more to it than that?
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A: I’ve treated this in my book Glory in the Cross. The main difference is the absence of the outdoor procession and therefore less music needed to accompany the opening. Your understanding is correct.