Family Easter Tradition—-Stuart McLaughlin

By Stuart McLaughlin

My family and I attend Holy Week Mass every year during Easter. While this might be common for many, it’s a tradition that holds special meaning for us. For years, we’ve gone to St. Joseph’s Church in Salem. My family appreciates a more traditional and classic style of Mass, which St. Joseph’s provides.

Although we love St. Joseph’s, the church unfortunately caught fire recently. In the past few years, we’ve instead gone to Mount Angel Abbey for the Easter Vigil. If you haven’t yet decided where to attend, I highly recommend the Abbey. The monks have incredible voices, the homilies are always thoughtful, and because there are no baptisms during the service, the Mass is about 30 minutes shorter than at most churches.

After Easter Vigil, my family and I usually sleep in and then go out for brunch the next morning. Lately, we’ve gone to Rudy’s, a fine-dining restaurant in downtown Salem, though we’ve also visited wineries in the past. When my sisters and I were younger, our parents would give us Easter baskets filled with treats and gift cards as a fun way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.