WAKE COUNTY, N.C. -- Churches from the Triangle and beyond were packed with Christians gathering in prayer for the Easter holiday.

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“Christ is risen. It’s the resurrection of Christ and it’s a whole new beginning of the year,” church member Katie Solsten said.

 

Ann Renegar member of Westover United Methodist Church says this Easter Sunday is dedicated to the Lord but is also special to her for other reasons.

 

“Easter means so much to me. We lost our mom back in November so coming to church means even more to me now,” Renegar said.

 

People say they are not only thrilled at the crowd at church but also the number of young people participating in the services.

“Easter is a new beginning, kind of like spring. It’s refreshing, it’s new,” teenager Ryan Solsten said.

 

St. Michael the Archangel in Cary was busting at the seams and Mass Coordinator Dick Friedewald says it good to see people at church even if they are not regulars.

“We realize that people come out more for the major holidays like Christmas and Easter. We’re glad to have them but we’d like to have here more often. I heard one time, one priest said you may not have been here for a year but we still have the same CEO,” Friedewald said.

 

Church goers agree this is one of the most important days of celebration in the Christian faith. They say it unites their religious community through love and prayer.

 

“To come here and share the joys and celebrations of Easter with the people in the congregations. It’s just a wonderful time,” church member John Mitchell said.