The church was packed to over-flowing, even with the addition of an extra gym mass at 7:00 am. But the crowd of people, including young children with their Easter outfits and a few babies dressed as bunnies, was tolerant and good-natured. Even before entering the church they were met with brightly colored banners lining the sidewalk and the alfombra(Guatemalan traditional carpet of sawdust) with a Dove of Peace near the entrance. Inside the gym the mood was festive with more gaily colored streamers hanging from the ceiling and matching the backdrop to the altar. The St. Joan of Arc choir, led by Anna Vagle offered a beautiful prelude to the mass performing “Total Praise” and “Alleluia El Senor”.

In a powerful preface to the Mass, the lights in the church were dimmed quickly causing a hush throughout the church. The muted toll of a drum announced the procession with Father George Wertin carrying the Paschal candle slowly down the center aisle. Father read the gospel story of the Resurrection and as the lights went up, the sound of the choir filled the church. Their performance of “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” with soloist, Mary Beste was glorious.

While great music and St. Joan of Arc go hand-in-hand, the music on Easter is superlative. This year the SJA musicians were joined by T. Mychael Rambo, a hugely talented singer so filled with energy that he routinely brought people to their feet. He performed “This Joy That I Have” and “Highest Praise,” both in collaboration with the choir. Another regular Easter musician was acclaimed trombonist, Jim TenBensel whose renditions of, “What a Wonderful World” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” are second only to Louis Armstrong himself. But the heart and soul of the performers is the regular group of artists who are with us week after week, Fred and Anna Vagle, Dan Chouinard, Steve Kremer, Lee Vague, Dick Hedlund, Cyril Paul, and Shane Speltz - to name a few.

Father George’s homily was short on time, but long on the message of transformation and joy. Asking how many had been to Disneyworld (many!), he suggested that while it is an enormously popular family attraction, it is basically a façade, an empty shell offering only temporary happiness. He reminded us that Christianity and the miracle of Easter offers us real happiness and joy through transformation - new life through death. What we need, said Father George, is enthusiasm which literally means, “filled with God”. “How can we not let God’s life and love radiate out from us as we celebrate Easter?”

Father George reminded us that Jesus promised three things:

• The more we cling to things, the more likely we are to lose them.
• The more we give away the richer we become.
• The more we are willing to die, the greater is our celebration of life.

At the end of Mass, Father called our attention to the Holy Week Alfombra. An alfombra is a carpet of sawdust, flowers, and other brightly colored organic material displayed as an artistic scene. It is a way to celebrate the bond with our Sister Parish, Tierra Nueva Dos, in Guatemala. A commitment to peace and justice is a shared value in the two parishes. Since there were elections in Guatemala in 2003 and there are up-coming elections in the US, the theme for the alfombra this year was “Vote for Peace”. While it took several hours to assemble it, it only took a few minutes for it to fall into disarray as a processional, led by Father George and Anna Vagle “stomped” through it. After several years it has become an essential element of the St. Joan of Arc Easter celebration.

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Sue O'Brien is the wife of Tom, mother of four children, and grandmother of six. She is dental hygienist and manages a dental practice in Spring Lake Park. A parishioner for many years, Sue worked as a caregiver at Grace House for seven years, beginning the week it opened. Now she is looking forward to meeting new people at St. Joan of Arc as she helps out as a web reporter and photographer. Sue can be reached at sueo-b@comcast.net.