As Easter Sunday nears, local communities are ready to get into the holiday spirit. On Saturday, April 12, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) invited families in the Region to a fun Easter Egg Hunt Celebration at The Center at Donaldson.
The egg hunt separated kids into three age groups: ages three and under, ages four to eight, and ages nine and older. Tara Knor, executive assistant for the PHJC,
“We do this Easter egg hunt every year. “The sisters like to have it so that the community knows we’re here and we can help people get involved. We have prizes, snacks, and 3D prints in the eggs. There are all kinds of neat things to do here.”
While hunting eggs is the ultimate celebration of Easter for the kids, this event had additional activities to create a fun family atmosphere.
“We have face painting that the kids are always lined up to participate in, especially the older kids. “We have a duck and the Easter Bunny here for parents to get pictures with their kids. In total, there are more than 3,000 eggs to be retrieved, so every kid gets a chance to leave here with something.”
Tony Englert, director of development for the PHJC, believes this event serves as a great prelude for Easter Sunday next week.
“Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, so it’s the start of Holy Week,” Englert said. “It’s fun to bring the families here to not only see the great outdoor activities, but also to see that this is a very spiritually centered place. This week, everything will be centered on our Ancilla Domini Chapel. We’ll be having prayer services, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the vigil mass on Saturday, and Easter Sunday mass to finish the week. This is certainly a place to have fun and enjoy the beauty of nature, but we also want to invite people in to know that the chapel is open for them to come and celebrate Easter with us.”
As the PHJC continues to host activities like the Easter egg hunt that allow for community engagement, Englert is excited when they come across new faces at these events that become mainstays on the campus.
“The sisters are dedicated to letting people know that we are here,” Englert said. “We’re often the best-kept secret in the area. Most people know of this place for Marian University’s Ancilla College, but we work hard to let people know about The Center at Donaldson. Between the art studio, retreat center, volunteer program, the farm, the greenhouse, and the chapel, these events help open a door for people to come see the beauty here.”
While every kid left with something special from the prize table, the unforgettable memories of families and friends celebrating Easter together was the greatest gift presented at the event.
“I like seeing everybody come out here to have a good time,” Knor said. “It’s great too because people get to see what we have to offer. Being able to have events like this that can put a smile on everyone’s face is a big deal to us.”
For more information on the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, you can visit its website.