Edmonton's 'Church Street' set to host thousands of worshippers for Easter weekend

Ariel Fournier · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

At the First Christian Reform Church connected 96th street, parishioners hung achromatic curtains implicit the stained solid windows up of their Good Friday service, to make a sombre temper arsenic they bespeak connected the communicative of Jesus' crucifixion. 

But by Sunday, the congregation volition beryllium greeted by a different scene. 

"On Saturday, unbeknownst to galore people, we'll beryllium backmost successful this sanctuary space," said Pastor Bernhard VanderVlis. "We'll instrumentality the achromatic distant and regenerate it with a batch of achromatic and flowers. So erstwhile they travel backmost connected Sunday morning, erstwhile we observe beingness and resurrection, the abstraction volition look bright," helium said. 

The religion is conscionable 1 of galore preparing for the Easter weekend, successful a tiny country of McCauley, a historical cardinal Edmonton neighbourhood. 

There are 10 churches operating on a six artifact agelong of 96th Street betwixt 112 and 106th Avenue known arsenic "Church Street," on with 4 others successful the adjacent neighbourhood. 

All of the churches big congregations of antithetic Christian faiths, making Easter play their busiest clip of year. 

"The top situation we look is parking," said Father Mark Blom, the subordinate pastor astatine the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples. 

When astir of the historical churches successful this country were built, radical typically walked to religion from adjacent neighbourhoods, but present radical thrust determination from each implicit the city, which tin origin congestion, helium said. 

"The 2 busiest churches connected this full thoroughfare are close crossed the thoroughfare from each other," said Blom. 

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Blom said Sacred Heart, which became a First Nations, Métis and Inuit parish successful 1991, continues to turn with much attendees.

The religion besides hosts Eritrean Eastern Rite Catholic work connected Sundays and is adjacent doorway to the Rhema Chapel, a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Pentecostal religion founded successful Nigeria. 

The chapel is expecting astir 1 1000 worshippers to get connected Sunday, according to Shola Olisa, an head with the church.  

"Definitely it volition beryllium a precise merry day, determination volition beryllium tons of singing, tons of dancing, tons of praises, worship and rejoicing," Olisa said. 

And it volition beryllium good anticipated by members of Rhema Chapel who chose to accelerated for 100 days this year, longer than their typical 40-day play of Lent.

Blom is besides expecting jubilation connected Easter Sunday. 

"There volition beryllium radical each dressed up successful their finest crossed the thoroughfare and radical coming present successful their ribbon skirts and it's a engaged festive place," helium said. 

While respective historical churches successful the country person closed oregon expanded to newer neighbourhoods, respective much precocious established churches person continued to take the cardinal country to stitchery their communities. 

The 96th Street country became a spot for galore migrant communities to physique assemblage churches successful the aboriginal portion of the 20th Century erstwhile McCauley was 1 of the archetypal neighbourhoods established successful the city.

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The First Christian Reform Church was started successful a structure connected Jasper Avenue arsenic a gathering spot for the section Dutch community. It moved to its existent determination successful 1914. 

The Nativity of Mary Catholic Church was built successful the 1980s connected 98 street, 2 blocks from Church Street to found a cardinal gathering spot for Edmonton's lone Croatian church. 

Father Matija Zugaj moved from Croatia astatine the extremity of 2023 to pb the church, and proceed their customized of holding wide successful the Croatian language. 

He said helium sees families successful Edmonton maintaining galore of their traditions from Croatia. On Palm Sunday, radical had luncheon astatine religion and brought their palms location to stock with their aged and sick friends and relatives who couldn't be connected that day. 

"I'm afloat of joyousness erstwhile I spot radical from each astir Edmonton, from Sherwood Park, from Spruce Grove, adjacent from Spring Lake travel present for Sunday mass," Zugaj said. 

"This volition beryllium my 2nd Easter solemnisation successful the parish, successful this community, and I'm truly looking guardant to it due to the fact that parishioners are truly moving together," helium said.