In Northeast Philadelphia, just before midnight on Holy Saturday, the courtyard of Evangelismos tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church was full, with parishioners standing shoulder to shoulder, each holding the Holy Light as it was passed from one flame to the next.
At the center, Very Reverend Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers prepared to proclaim the Resurrection.
When he did, the response came immediately.
Christos Anesti.
As voices carried across the courtyard, fireworks rose overhead, breaking the stillness. The light had already spread through the crowd. The words followed, and with them, the release.
People turned to one another, repeating the greeting quietly or aloud. Children held their candles with both hands, watching the flames. The courtyard remained lit edge to edge, the glow steady even as the sound of the fireworks faded above Bustleton Avenue.
Within minutes, the gathering began to move back toward the church to continue the Paschal Divine Liturgy. Candles remained lit across the courtyard as people turned toward the entrance, the light holding as the crowd began to move.