20-04-2025
Christians attend Easter Sunday services across western Mass.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Sunday is Easter, and a special occurrence happened this year– all Christians got to celebrate on the same day.
To mark this moment, Bishop William Byrne held an annual Easter Mass at Saint Michael's Cathedral in Springfield. Many families and friends gathered at the cathedral to pray, listen to the voices of the choir, and hear the words of Bishop Byrne. For some, it was their first time, while for others, it has become a tradition.
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'We've always come with our grandparents, my mother, and my uncles, my aunts,' said Talia Sintron. 'Easter is a nice time to come together as a family.'
Easter is the day Christians honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection takes place three days after Jesus's death on Good Friday. It's one holiday that brings many Christians to church following the 40 days of Lent, which includes prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
'I prayed on wealth, I prayed on happiness, a future again for my daughter,' Sintron said. 'We gave up a bunch of stuff this year, and I do feel closer to our Lord.'
In most years, Orthodox Christians would celebrate Easter on a different date than Catholics and Protestants, because their churches use different calendars. However, this year's date coincides with all calendars.
While religious services are a very important part of the day for many Christians to reflect, Bishop Byrne made it even more special with a message about compassion.
'We need to hear the message of kindness and love,' Bishop Byrne said. 'We read in the paper and hear about just people not getting along and not being nice to each other.'
This is a message the bishop says will never get old.
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