Church leaders marked the first major Christian holiday since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions with Easter over the weekend.
As of April 1, the Government of the Northwest Territories rescinded Covid-19 restrictions that included indoor gathering limitations.
In Hay River, Christians marked Palm Sunday on April 10, which led into Good Friday to mark the death of Jesus Christ.
Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection, drew some of the largest crowds to church since the pandemic took effect in March 2020.
Pastor Samuel Acey of the Hay River Pentecostal Chapel ministers to about 75 people in his congregation. He said that the weekend represented a turning point after two years under pandemic restrictions.
“It’s really the first really Christian holiday post-Covid… where we don’t have to worry about who is worried about certain restrictions or who is staying away,” he said. “Those who are free to come out are able to come out and so that’s good. The last couple of Easters, we’ve had a number of restrictions or social distancing rules but now we’re able to come together and not necessarily have to put that warning label on the door.”
Acey said the church tries to build community in a number of ways, such as singing during services, sharing communal food, hosting meals and social gatherings and making home visits.
In most cases, these types of activities were either severely restricted or suspended over the last two years due to public health orders.
The pastor said some in his congregation are still reluctant to come out to services. Some wear masks or take other safety precautions out of personal choice.
Some of that hesitation will gradually evolve in the weeks and months ahead, he said.
“It’s going to take some time to kind of get people back in the mindset that we’re able to gather and that this is OK,” he said. “Some people have not been coming out for a couple of years and while they haven’t left the church and have remained connected in various ways, at the same time they were staying away for their own reasons. “
There is a sense of community that the church provides, according to Acey.
“As we come out of Covid, we are planning what we as a church have to do to help that hunger for social gathering and communal gathering together for people,” he said. “Not just for those who would call the church home but for the community in general.
“We’re entering into a brand new season here, for sure.”
Father Innocent Ukaegbu of Our Lady of Assumption Roman Catholic Church said he had about 80 people attend Easter Sunday service. He admitted that conducting church ministerial responsibilities has been challenging since Easter service was first shutdown in 2020.
He said many of his congregation of nearly 200 people are still taking public health precautions.
“Even though restrictions have been lifted, here in town a lot of people have Covid so a lot of people still have voluntarily stayed away from coming to church,” he said.
Of those that participated over the weekend, he said that there was a sense of relief of returning to a degree of normalcy.
“I think there was the emotional or psychological feeling of a return to normal life because those restrictions are no longer there. People feel good,” he said. “For the first time in almost two years, we were able to go to the hall and have our snacks or go through our Sunday routine of having a potlach.”
Easter Sunday
Acey and Ukaegbu said they see the Easter message of the resurrection as being especially important this year as many people are struggling with uncertainty.
“I think especially in this present time, a lot of people are coming out of a time of just chaos — a word I hear thrown around a lot,” Acey said. “People don’t know what’s happening next week or next month or feel chaos because of whatever is happening in our world.
“There’s hope for all people and there’s hope for those of us who are feeling like we’re drained and that we don’t have anywhere else to turn, whether we’re feeling like we have been on the receiving end of wars or of persecution or of racism or that have been victims of abuse or addictions.”
The resurrection represents that there is hope for all people, Acey added.
Ukaegbu said the return of gatherings at church adds positivity among the congregation, especially older people.
“Of the few that go to church, what I have discovered is that the word of God makes them to be hopeful,” he said. “Yes, there are problems in our world and sometimes they can be complex, but sometimes what we hear and the encouragement we get from the church and when we read the Bible helps us to be resilient.”