Easter Letter 2021

Dear Friends,

     It is with great joy that we approach the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Morning.  The effort of quarantining, masking, distancing, and temperature taking by the people of Snyder County, our neighbors, has given us the gift of resuming community worship.  Come with your bells to make a joyful noise, and join with the parish bell to declare “He is Risen”. 

     The Plan is to gather in the Market Street courtyard after checking in at 9:45am.  There we will light the Paschal Candle, and sing Easter hymns.  Then we will process into the church at 10:00 a.m. following “The Light of Christ”.  Socially distancing, following the established protocols, we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist.  Of course, families will be able to sit together.  During the liturgy, we will ring our bells as the organ plays Easter hymns.  Communion will be “The Body of Christ, The Bread of Heaven”.  Following worship, all are invited to take a flowering plant home, and to join in a festive coffee hour in the courtyard.  This is not quite back to normal, but it is a giant step in the right direction.  For those who are not yet ready to venture out, the expectation is that home communion kits well continue to be delivered by members to your door. 

     As the bulbs of Spring push forth through the soil and into the light, as the Lord Jesus rolled away the stone at the entrance of the tomb as dawn was breaking on that first Easter morning, so this Easter, we will be raised up to a more blessed life in our walk of faith. 

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant; Make you perfect, in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.                                                                                                              BCP, p. 503

                                                                        Rejoice, and be safe.

                                                                        Canon Paul C. Donecker

Schedule of Events

9:45am       Gathering in Market Street courtyard to light the Paschal Candle and to sing Easter hymns.

10:00am     Processing into the church following the Paschal Candle for Holy Eucharist with joyous bell ringing

11:00am     Festive Coffee Hour in Market Street courtyard and Easter Egg Hunt in the Memorial Garden for all ages.