TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Hundreds of people gathered at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tucson to celebrate Easter Sunday.
God's house was packed as churchgoers, like Fabian Mada, celebrated the belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
"Of course the meaning of it is Christ has risen so with that, just knowing that you know we are safe from our sins and it’s just a great time to be with those that we love," Mada said.
Father John Michael made his way around the church, blessing everyone. The mass brought together people from all walks of life, including older and younger generations.
Mada attended the church service with his girlfriend's family. He says he takes this time of year to reflect.
"You know, taking everyday as an opportunity to be the best version of yourself and share the love with one another and not being shy," Mada said.
Meanwhile, his mother-in-law loves the unity the day brings.
"That’s the best part, just to get to hug your family and just know that we’re all together in this church. You know God has risen so it’s beautiful. Everything is so beautiful," Mada's mother-in-law said.
Congregation member Maria Elena Acker says the holiday brings her joy.
"Hope, faith. Togetherness. Being friendly with people, being kind to people. We need to be kind to each other," Acker said.
Acker says the word of the Lord is very meaningful to her.
"Happy Easter, yes. Just a beautiful, beautiful service. The priest, oh my gosh. Just those words, they’re true. That’s what He speaks, the truth," Acker said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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