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St. Olaf hosts Great Easter Vigil

By David Gonnerman '90
March 28, 2005

St. Olaf College hosted a special Great Easter Vigil service on March 26 in Boe Memorial Chapel. Bishop Harold Usgaard of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) presided over the one-and-a-half-hour evening service. Also participating were St. Olaf College Pastor Bruce Benson and John Ferguson, the Elliot and Kalara Stockdal Johnson Professor of Organ Music at St. Olaf. The vigil was sponsored by area ELCA churches St. John's, Bethel and St. Peter's in Northfield, Gol in Kenyon and Grace in Nerstrand. A reception followed.

"This was an opportunity for St. Olaf to gather congregations and individuals in sharing this deeply moving worship experience," says St. Olaf Director of Church Relations Janet Kringen Thompson '70. "We hope that this service brought light and fellowship to all who participated."

Historically -- from the earliest days of the church -- the Easter Vigil was primarily a means of preparing new converts for baptism into the Christian Faith, which normally was done on Easter Sunday as the focal point of the church year. The practice has since evolved into the modern Easter sunrise service that many churches observe.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.