A line stretched out of Holy Name Cathedral, down the sidewalks from State Street and around the corner onto Chicago Avenue ahead of Easter morning mass Sunday.
Rev. Gregory Sakowicz reflected on “the violence in our city, nation and wars throughout the world” between sports quips as he addressed the crowd that spilled into the building’s lobby.
“If you want to look for God, look for love,” Sakowicz said.
It came hours after Chicago’s own Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, though he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, emphasized Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified,
“Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!” the pope implored.
That was just hours before President Trump issued a profanity-laden social media post on Sunday morning, warning Iran that if the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for global trade, isn’t opened by Tuesday, he would target the country’s bridges and power plants. He ended with “Praise be to Allah” before signing off in all caps.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” the president wrote on Truth Social early Easter morning, adding, “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”
Andy Matijevic, associate pastor and director of worship, said he had watched Pope Leo’s remarks earlier in the morning, and felt the pontiff’s words were connected to those being preached in Chicago. After helming one of the overflow areas, he said there was no better time to be reflecting on living in harmony.
“Easter is a time of peace,” he said. “With the dark world we’re living in, with all the wars, divisions and hatred in our city, our nation and our world, the resurrected presence of Christ is so tangible about being the peacemaker the world needs.”
Josh Garcia, a 25-year-old South Loop resident and parishioner at Holy Name, sat with his fiancée in Matijevic’s overflow area. He’s set to officiate their wedding at the church in December.
The couple arrived just 15 minutes before it opened, though they said they probably should’ve allowed for an hour ahead of time.
“It was still very nice, but it was packed,” Garcia said.
Garcia said after the mass, he was reflecting on “having peace with your neighbor,” and said he was glad they were leaving with peace in our hearts.”
“When you’re looking at the person next to you and saying peace to them, you’re not looking at their imperfections,” Garcia said. “We’re too quick to judge.”
Fellow parishioner Tom Zuro, a 60-year-old South Loop resident, said he said he was grateful the downed U.S. pilot, who crashed after their F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down in Iran alongside another American plane, was rescued alive.
“I pray for peace and a lessening of the mayhem and violence in any city,” Zuro said before heading to brunch. “Just compassion for all of us.”
“I know it’s utopian,” he added with a laugh.
Contributing: AP
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