Parishioners gather for an Easter service at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park.

Parishioners throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida celebrated the 40 days of Lent and entered the season of Easter this year with a fevered passion, overflowing churches and special events along the way.

At St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park, the Rev. Alison P. Harrity said Easter weekend was special: “We had a grand Saturday night Easter vigil where we baptized a father and his 3-year-old child and then, on Sunday, a total of 350 people attended the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services.”

Harrity said Sunday’s later service drew about 50 more worshippers than could be seated in the sanctuary, emphasizing what articles in the Christian Standard and Christian Post report: More people attend Easter services than any other service during the year, including Christmas.

The rector believes the increased attendance on Easter is because of family. “Family invites them, and in the right church, it is really inspiring and beautiful with music and flowers and pomp and circumstance,” she said.

Harrity added that she did not notice any significant increase in attendance during Lent; however, she did take note of something else. “People were talking about the state of the nation for sure, in Bible studies and nonworship activities,” she said.

At St. David’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Cocoa Beach, the Rev. Scott Holcombe said his church “had an amazing Lent/Holy Week. This is the first year that we have had a Stations of the Cross service every Friday during Lent. It was well-received, with attendance ranging from 13 to 32.”

Holcombe said the church’s newly formed worship committee worked hard to provide new and interesting worship options. “In Holy Week, we had daily services from Wednesday through Sunday,” he said. “They were well-attended. Several of the visitors who attended the midweek services returned on Sunday. We had new, professionally made street signs that announced the worship services to the neighbors.”

The rector also reported that the Easter altar was beautifully decorated with a mass of living orchids grown by church member Clive Gay. Orchids were chosen to adorn the altar because the rector is allergic to Easter lilies. There were Easter lilies outside in the church’s memorial garden and near the entry doors.

According to Holcombe, St. David’s by-the-Sea works to make its services aesthetically beautiful to enhance parishioners’ worship experience; however, he believes there are multiple reasons Easter services are more well-attended than others.

“For many, Easter is a day of obligation,” he said. “Even nonbelievers attend church with fellow members because many people have brunch or lunch to attend following the services. Our highest attendance occurs when the bishop visits!”

In keeping with tradition, Bishop Greg Brewer celebrated Easter Sunday at the Cathedral in downtown Orlando this year.