Michelle Marnierre Fritz from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis speaks during a Divine Mercy Sunday presentation at St. Mary Parish in Grinnell on April 12. The parish’s paschal candle is also pictured.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Easter is much more than just one Sunday in the spring. “We should think of (Easter) more like a vacation or a season,” said Father Jason Crossen, diocesan vicar general and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
Easter, one of two multi-day feasts in the liturgical calendar, is a sacred period of 50 days which concludes with Pentecost Sunday. “The Church celebrates that time from when Jesus returned in his resurrected body to instruct the Church, his apostles and disciples on the fullness of his teaching,” Father Crossen explained.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) considers the season of Easter the most important of all liturgical times, culminating in Jesus’s Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. “It is characterized, above all, by the joy of glorified life and the victory over death” (usccb.org). The other multi-day feast in the Church is Christmas.
Though the origin of the word “Easter” is debated, the USCCB points to the Old English word eastre, which means “east.” “The sun which rises in the East, bringing light, warmth, and hope, is a symbol for the Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the world” (usccb.org). Almost all neighboring languages use a variant of the word pascha, which comes from the Greek and Latin names for the holiday. The Paschal Candle used during the Easter Vigil is a central symbol of Christ’s divine light. It is kept near the ambo throughout Easter Time and lit for all liturgical celebrations.
Easter is the oldest Christian feast, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, published between 1907 and 1914. The feast’s date varied by culture until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 decreed that the Roman practice of celebrating Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox should be observed throughout the Church.
St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City hosted a communal penance service on April 11 to prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Six priests heard confessions during the event. In this photo, Catholics pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet before going to confession.
Celebrating the season
We are given 50 full days — even longer than Lent — to dwell with the divine mysteries of Easter, Catholic author Laura Kelly Fanucci wrote in her 2026 Easter season devotional, “Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection.” These seven weeks offer the faithful an opportunity to “linger in Christ’s light (and) let the power and the glory of the Resurrection reorder our entire lives.”
Divine Mercy Sunday, which focuses on the gift of mercy and love given through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, occurs on the second Sunday of Easter. Pope St. Paul II declared it in 2000 during the canonization Mass of St. Faustina Kowalska, whose vision of Jesus wearing a white garment with beams of red and white coming from his heart came to be known as the image of Divine Mercy. Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence on this day. Several diocesan parishes, including Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport, St. Mary Parish in Grinnell and St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City, host Divine Mercy Sunday events.
Another way to celebrate the Easter season is to “keep up with the good we did in Lent,” Father Crossen said.
“We can also add to the feast of Easter by continuing the good work of charity, almsgiving and good stewardship to our brothers and sisters in need,” Father Crossen continued. “It’s a great time to donate food, money, and volunteerism to local charities. The work of Jesus comes alive when we let him use our hands and feet to help our brothers and sisters! All of us can contribute in some way to build the Church on earth, physically by our gifts, spiritually by our prayers.”
He encourages Catholics to consider Bible studies, prayer groups or church activities to stay involved. The Easter season is also a great time to read the Acts of the Apostles, which include “all those exciting events that take place after the Resurrection.” On a personal level, Father Crossen keeps the glorious mysteries of the rosary top of mind. “This is a great way to meditate on Scripture and to deepen our appreciation of God,” he believes.
The sacred period of 50 days concludes with Pentecost Sunday, a feast celebrating the day the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles. On this day, the Church commemorates the beginnings of the Church, and the start of its mission to preach the Gospel in all tongues to all peoples and nations.
