Our church was lost to fire during Holy Week in 2016. This is my prayer for Notre Dame. | Reverend Richard Hong, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Englewood, New Jersey, for CNNopinion
The Reverend Richard Hong is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, New Jersey. Their historic sanctuary was destroyed in a fire on March 22, 2016. The views expressed here are his. View more opinion on CNN.
As I watched the reports of the blaze engulfing the Notre Dame Cathedral, the event triggered memories of the fire in 2016 that destroyed the sanctuary of the church where I serve as the pastor. Like the Notre Dame fire, ours happened during the week before Easter, which Christians refer to as Holy Week. Although nothing compares to the magnificence of Notre Dame, our church was fairly large , locally historic and also contained a recently-restored pipe organ.
Rev. Richard Hong The destruction of our sanctuary just five days before Easter made that Easter even more meaningful to us. Easter is a day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It represents life after death. It represents recovery from tragedy. In the aftermath of the fire, the coming of Easter helped us focus not on what we lost, but on what we could become.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Francis blesses palm branches as he ushers in Holy WeekGet breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC news.
Read more »
Vatican displays Holy Stairs for the first time in 300 yearsVisitors to Rome this Easter can have a once-in-a-lifetime experience: climbing the original stairs that Jesus is said to have walked on before his crucifixion.
Read more »
Pope washes feet of prisoners at Holy Thursday servicePope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 prisoners on Thursday at a traditi...
Read more »
A Heroic Priest And Human Chain Saved Priceless Holy Relics From The Notre Dame FireFather Jean-Marc Fournier, the chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, led the charge to retrieve the cathedral's precious artifacts.
Read more »
I Tried Cooking Like An Instagram Food Blogger And Holy Crap I Learned So MuchI wanted to see what it'd be like to cook recipes from popular Instagram food bloggers, and let me tell you it is NOT easy.
Read more »
Thousands Of People Say This Serum *Actually* Has Helped Their Dry And Frizzy HairThe holy grail of hair serums is finally here.
Read more »
Why Notre Dame Cathedral is so important to Catholics worldwideThis week is Holy Week, when millions of Western Christians mark the death and resurrection of Jesus. But as fire engulfed the Notre Dame cathedral, Catholics across the world reacted in horror and disbelief.
Read more »
The new co-CEO of Salesforce explains how the $124 billion cloud company's 'fourth' act is using AI to give its customers the 'Holy Grail'Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block tells us all about how artificial intelligence is helping the company open up new opportunities for its customers.
Read more »
'Way of the Cross' ritual around Notre Dame CathedralPARIS - Catholics perform the 'Way of the Cross' ritual, recounting Christ's passion, around the Notre Dame Cathedral. Holy week rites have been marred by the fire and Catholics have shown an outpouring of support following the tragedy.
Read more »