Easter Sunday 2001 Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise The Lord!!!!!!

Exultant is an understatement of the “Celebration” at St. Joan’s Easter Sunday Masses. Record attendance once again overflowed the 9:00 and 11:00 services. The buzzing and swarming of people was evident an hour before mass. Annually this "larger than life" crowd is attracted to the ultimate celebration of Easter and this year’s theme “Breaking Forth To New Life With Jesus...”

Fifteen minutes before each mass the choir and musicians greeted everyone with the traditional song “Easter Parade”. Casting a look across the sea of people you could pick out numerous decorative hats, boys in white dress shirts and little ladies in Easter’s best dresses. Families collected in groups of moms and dads, sisters and brothers, grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles.

Included in the prelude before mass, the congregation joined the choir in a ecological song of praise “For the Beauty of the Earth” a piece symbolizing the mystery of life, the beauty of earth, and the greatfulness for life’s gifts.

Moving from last week’s Palm Sunday into Sunday’s Easter Mass symbolized with quiet, with darkness, and the lone toll of a marching drum as the Easter candle was lit in the back of church and carried to the altar. The story of the discovery of Jesus’ body missing from the tomb was read in the darkness and followed, with the thunderous exhalation of Gwen Matthew’s voice spiraling through the air singing “I Know My Redeemer Still Lives”. The crowd ignited and was gripped in the moment . The weeks of preparing for the realization of the “coming” broke through.

With each Easter traditionally we renew our baptismal vows. The congregation answered the questions asked at baptism and acknowledged their belief in God. At each Mass Fr. George Wertin and Jim Cassidy walked the aisle sprinkling our heads with holy water and blessing each of us.

The choir, Gwen, Anna Vagle, Jim tenBensel, and the musicians performed an old gospel hymn “Jesus Is The Answer”. It was a sweet hymn bringing out the spirit of belief that Jesus is the answer in every possible way. Gwen sang it with a voice of tenderness from her heart. She captured a pure and simple strength in our universal faith.

Tying into the theme of Breaking Forth...both pastors touched on the revelation of the resurrection. Jim Cassidy pointed to the need to instill the daily continuity of one’s faith into their life. Easter should be celebrated “everyday” he emphasized. Through difficult times and joyful times we need to recognize that we are not alone ....ever. He sited a parishioner who lost her husband this past year. Daily she is aware of the “resurrection” in her life in a very close way. George Wertin reminded us how we need to find an equality in our brothers and sisters . He emphasized the need to live the word of Jesus everyday ...not just in times of need.

Gwen, with the choir, then broke into “Everything That Hath Breathe” to charge the congregation and invite them to step a little higher....and believe a little deeper. Gwen loves to lead the way...and we love her for showing it to us.

Easter’s celebration is a challenge for all of us to integrate the “spiritual” meaning of Jesus’ death to eternal life, into our life. We need to integrate daily, in every minute, a way in which we live without judgment, with forgiveness, and for the growth of our spirit. And in doing so, we can count on reenergizing ourselves by continuing to commune together on Sundays and through other communal parish commitments. What a good start to a “new” year it was Easter Sunday. It remains for us, the most spiritually enriching season of the church’s year.

Peg LaSota is interested in the biographies of parishioners... any suggestions?? She also loves studying piano, recorder, Spanish, and of course...singing in the choir!

Rick Spaulding is a photographer specializing in digital photography for the theater and works for National Camera Exchange. He is also an antique dealer and eBay afficianado who enjoys collecting marbles but his true joys in life are his two boys and his beautiful wife, Tinia.

Audio/Video highlights of St. Joan's Easter celebration will be archived for 6 weeks on our Highlights Page.