Through Darkness Comes Light: An Evening at a Catholic Easter Vigil
Last Saturday evening after dinner with my husband, I got dressed in a white, stripped dress shirt, dark slacks, and drove into downtown Glens Falls toward Saint Mary’s Church. I parked on Warren Street, choosing to walk around the neighborhood and soak up the beautiful, starry night and magnificent architecture along Warren and Ridge Street. Turning onto Maple Street, I listened to the music coming from a local restaurant, Morgan and Company, as guests dined inside on Easter Weekend. Walking down Church Street, I marveled at the enormous, brick-layered building of Saint Mary’s Church and Academy. It was built in 1867 over one hundred and fifty years ago, and the façade still shines in Glens Falls.
Walking into the church, I noticed that the lights were dimmed, with my neighbor, Kate, handing out service booklets and a small candle to attendees. It has been nearly twenty years since I attended an Easter Vigil, so I did not know what to expect. Kneeling beside a pew, genuflecting, and taking a seat, Father Scott VanDerveer’s booming voice radiated in the room, introducing the evening. He mentioned that we will all head outside to the front of the church shortly to begin the service. It took a few moments, but the entire congregation stood on the sidewalk, with Father Scott reciting prayers and lighting a candle to begin the Easter Vigil. He mentioned that there would be thirteen new members being baptized today. While traditionally an unlucky number, it leads credence to the rebirth of the Catholic church over the years.
As we all walked back into the church with our small, lit candle, it was eerily dark with the choir singing hymns. Over the course of the first hour, we listened to four passages from the Bible, sung songs with the choir, and reflected on the somber occasion that the Lenten season entails. The stories spanned the gamut of familiarity for those who grew up in the Catholic faith, like the beginning of Genesis, Moses’ parting the Dead Sea, and Abraham’s test of God’s faith. Growing up Catholic, I remembered each one, though with new insights into their significance than my childhood self. Reconnecting with the story of Genesis in the dark church, my imagination was illuminated with scenes of creation, while the story of Moses cultivated a sense of awe with large waves on either side of Moses and the Israelites.
Once the four readings and psalms, the lights were turned back on, orchestrating a wonderful sense of awe as the Gospel reading of Mark was read aloud. The story detailed the miraculous event when Mary Magdalene and two others learned the news of Jesus’ resurrection after the crucifixion by an angel. I recalled the horrifying experience of watching Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ film when I attended Saint Charles Borromeo school and the image of actor Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus, walking into the sunlight from the tomb. After the reading, Father Scott spoke about unexpected joyful moments exemplifying the darkness of crucifixion with the resurrection. It led to an astonishing announcement that the parish of St. Mary’s Church was establishing the first new convent in the north country in more than a half century. According to Father Scott, Sister Laurie-Marie, Mary Lucille, and Mary Therese will be joining the parish and school this summer. The church exuded applause after his announcement, concluding his homily in a gloriously uplifting fashion.
For the following hour, the attendees were treated to induction sacraments of baptism, eucharist, and confirmation from thirteen new members to the Catholic faith. I recognized the surnames as each person was presented, and my mind delved into my own childhood memories as the sacraments progressed. While I do not recall my baptism as an infant, I thought of my Aunt Maureen Sestito who passed away in 2021. She was the eldest sister to my mother and became a doctor later in life while raising two kids. She was able to tell a portion of her story on an episode of NPR’s Studio 360 back in 2018, and from time to time, our family listens to her inspirational message of living life to the fullest.
After thirteen candidates were confirmed into the parish, my memories of my grandfather, Charles Palladino Senior, surfaced in my mind. He was my confirmation sponsor back in 2005, and he recently passed away in 2024. He passed away last year near the end of October, culminating in ninety years as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, neighbor, coach, and avid runner. His life imbued a positive force with everyone that had met him, as well as those who only know his reputation as “Mr. Pal”. Given his physical education prowess as a gym teacher and father of seven, my grandfather, known colloquially as “Pop-Pop”, was always on his feet, hitting the pavement or track. There was no question that his stamina could push through any struggle, as he trained for and completed a marathon in his 50’s with his two sons. A second-generation immigrant from Italy, he married his wife, Catherine McConomy, in Philadelphia before moving his growing family of seven to a suburb of New Jersey. Through twenty years working as a physical education teacher in the Delran school district, he has altered the lives of not only his children but countless students with his positive guidance. While listening to the candidates recite the doctrine, my eyes swelled with tears as memories filled my mind.
The rest of the church service involved the traditional eucharist with the confirmed candidates receiving communion before the rest of the congregation. As our pew rose and walked toward the front altar, I silently sung the chorus to a song by Suzanne Toolan entitled, “I am the Bread of Life”. Written in 1970, it is a common song heard during church services over the past fifty years, with the refrain brilliantly describing Easter, stating, “And I will raise you up on the last day.”
Once the mass ended, I was surprised to find that it was 10:30pm, especially as the congregation opened the doors to the city streets. It was a spiritually and personally uplifting service that imbued the message that through darkness comes light. As the warmer weather shines bright on the Northeast in the coming months, be sure to always remember the one rule that Jesus left us: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” In essence, create a more compassionate and kinder society for all.
