PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Darkness turned into light and with that light came the promise of a new beginning.
The Easter Vigil at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights on Saturday, March 30, began with a darkened church. But just as Jesus, through his resurrection, brought light to a darkened world, so too, did light come to the co-cathedral.
Bishop Robert Brennan, who celebrated the vigil, lit the paschal candle at the start of the vigil and from that candle, smaller candles held by each one of the hundreds of people in the congregation were lit and the co-cathedral was bathed in the warm glow of candlelight.
And within a few moments, there was even more light as bells were ringing and the co-cathedral’s electric lights were turned on.
The light is not only beautiful but it can be a great source of comfort, Bishop Brennan said.
“Always, there is a lot of darkness in the world. We also experience a certain amount of darkness in our lives, things that weigh us down,” Bishop Brennan told The Tablet. “It’s Christ who lifts us up. He brings light to the darkness. At the Easter Vigil, we do that in a very symbolic way.”
The Easter Vigil is also a time for new beginnings, particularly for those just joining the Catholic faith or who are first receiving the sacraments.
The vigil is traditionally the setting for the Catholic Church’s sacraments of initiation — baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation.
Bishop Brennan baptized four people into the faith and administered the sacraments of the Eucharist and confirmation to several other faithful.
The night marked a new beginning for Holly Turner, a teacher and musician, who was baptized.
It was music that first brought Turner into the co-cathedral and into the Catholic faith. “I work at a place called the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and they perform here during the holidays. I came in for a concert and I was just blown away at how beautiful this church was. So I was excited to come here for Mass on Sundays,” she recalled.
Turner was deeply moved by the beauty of the co-cathedral. “And coming to this church, I felt it was beautiful. I just loved how sacred everything was. I was really drawn to this church and I wanted to become a Catholic,” she explained.
Karina Mendes, a mother of three, is expecting her fourth child, a baby boy, on May 2. She was at the Easter Vigil to receive the Eucharist and be confirmed. “I feel good. I want to do it. I want to be with God,” said the stay-at-home mom.
Mendes was raised a Catholic and was baptized but did not receive the other sacraments. But now, she feels she is setting a good example of faith to her children. “My children can follow my steps,” she added.
For Jorge DeRoche, an operations manager for a bank, the Easter Vigil was a chance to complete his sacraments of initiation. He had already been baptized and received Holy Eucharist but had never been confirmed. That changed on Saturday night.
“I guess I can say I was trying to search for my place,” he recalled. “ I started praying and then doing Mass online. I decided to stop into the church and that same day that I stopped in, I emailed the deacon asking him what I can do to complete sacraments. And I signed up.”
DeRoche believes he has found his place — the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. “I think I fell in love with it when I walked in. Everyone was very welcoming,” he explained.
The Easter Vigil was full of symbolic moments, among them the lighting of the paschal candle, the procession into the church, the music, the candlelight, and Bishop Brennan blessing the congregation by sprinkling the baptismal waters on everyone.
There were several readings that night, encompassing everything from the Book of Genesis to the Gospel according to St. Mark.
“We move through the readings, through the sacraments, and we call it the Mother of all Liturgies because it is. It just compiles everything. And when it’s done right, it’s beautiful,” said Father Christopher Heanue, rector of the co-cathedral.
But it all comes back to the light, the light that Jesus Christ brought to the world. “With light, there is peace. Christ’s light is peace, really,” Father Heanue added.