Churches across the city have decked up for celebrations of Easter, the festival of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Saturday as Lent came to an end.
Though the festival is celebrated on Sunday also called Resurrection Sunday, the holy mass and prayers at a majority of the churches and cathedrals are conducted during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
The prayers begin at around 10 p.m. at many churches and end by 2 a.m.
Devotees who observed fasting during the past six weeks broke the fast on Saturday.
A huge turnout of devotees could be seen at the churches of various congregations across the city including St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Gundala Matha Shrine, St. Lutheran’s Church, and St Paul’s Centenary.
Scores of people took part in the annual ‘Run for Jesus’ held in the city on Saturday morning. Roman Catholic, Vijayawada diocese bishop Rev. T. Joseph Raja Rao along with Church of South India, Krishna-Godavari diocese bishop T. George Cornelius flagged off the run at the St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The run ended at St. Paul’s Basilica via Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road, Mother Teresa junction and Sikhamani Centre. The run was organised by the AP Federation of Telugu Churches in collaboration with the churches of the city.
