Now Reading
A Mountain service marks Easter dawn
local

From the archive: This story is more than 10 years old.

A Mountain service marks Easter dawn

  • About 100 people attended a sunrise Easter service on A Mountain.
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comAbout 100 people attended a sunrise Easter service on A Mountain.
  • As the dawn broke Sunday morning, the full moon began to set.
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comAs the dawn broke Sunday morning, the full moon began to set.
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com
  • A couple receive the Eucharist during the service.
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comA couple receive the Eucharist during the service.
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com
  • Crosses with a Bible verse attached were handed out.
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comCrosses with a Bible verse attached were handed out.
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com
  • Pastor Richard Lopez and service organizer David Herrera, to the left of the cross.
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comPastor Richard Lopez and service organizer David Herrera, to the left of the cross.
  • Lopez and Norma Herrera
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comLopez and Norma Herrera
  • Lopez and Rodriguez
    Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.comLopez and Rodriguez
  • Amanda Cain/TucsonSentinel.com

While most of Tucson was still sleeping on Sunday, about 100 people rose early from the comfort of their beds to attend a Tucson tradition — a sunrise Easter service on A Mountain.

Golden luminarias made a path to a brightly lit cross rising from the shadows of the night. As the city lights faded and the moon set, the rising sun created a warm glow on the faces of those who attended the non-denominational service, which was conducted by pastors Richard Lopez and Lupe Rodriguez in English and Spanish.

At the end of the service, crosses with Corinthians 15:3,4 inscribed on a small attached note were handed out. Organizer David Herrera donated the crosses, and asked that everyone take one, not as a good luck charm, but as a reminder of the true reason for the Easter celebration.

Herrera has been organizing the event for over 30 years, said his daughter, Norma Herrera. She believes her father is committed to continuing the dawn services for as long as he can.

As the attendees collected their crosses and headed back down the mountain with smiles on their faces, the event was clouded with some concerns about how long this Tucson tradition would continue.

In the past, about 1,000 attended but due to disagreements between local churches over the service's non-denominational nature, many followers are being discouraged from attending, one volunteer said.

Corinthians 15:3,4

  • For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
  • And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Filed under

news, faith, local, arizona, breaking,

Read more about

a mountain, easter

More by Amanda Cain

— 30 —

Top headlines

Best in Internet Exploder